Marymount (Va.) University Director of Athletics Jamie Reynolds announced on Wednesday the hiring of the newest Head Coach of the men's and women's cross country teams, Brian Cunningham. 

"Brian fits all of the characteristics that we are seeking to lead our men's and women's cross country programs to the next level," Reynolds said. "He has a sound approach to coaching gained through a variety of experience at different levels of the NCAA. His coaching philosophy is perfectly aligned with the mission and vision of Marymount Athletics and the integrity and values that we cherish. His ties to the local running community will provide opportunities for our student athletes and the university to be more involved in the local running scene. I have no doubt he will be a great leader for our student athletes and take them to the next level. We are very pleased to add him to our team." 

"I want to thank our Director of Athletics, Jamie Reynolds, and the search committee for providing me the opportunity to lead the cross country team into a new era," Cunningham said. "The support and enthusiasm from coaches and administration is palpable; I'm excited to join this dynamic department!"

Cunningham takes over the program with a plethora of experience in cross country, from performing as a Division I runner at The College of William and Mary, which transitioned to running professionally, to coaching the sport for over a decade. During his time as a runner for the Tribe, he was named All-Conference in the 800 meters, while earning IC4A qualifying status in the 4x800 relay during his four-year career. 

Kicking off his coaching career in Boston, Massachusetts, Cunningham headed the inaugural season of the cross country program at the Winsor School. The program took off quickly, winning the conference championship along with the individual title in just the first season. For his efforts, he was honored as the 2001 Eastern Independent League Coach of the Year. During his time at Winsor, he volunteered for three years with the John Hancock Elite Athletes program, while also training at the FILA Boston Training Camp and raced with several Kenyan athletes. 

It was from there that Cunningham was granted the opportunity to return to his alma mater and become an Assistant Men's Cross Country and Track & Field Coach for the Tribe of William and Mary, where he specifically worked with middle-distance runners. During his time there from 2003-05, the Tribe qualified for the NCAA Cross Country Championships twice. Cunningham also assisted with five male and female competitors who were chosen to compete for various Team USA squads. 

In 2005, he slipped away from W&M for a one-year stint in Edinburg, Texas as the Assistant Men's and Women's Cross Country and Track & Field Coach for the University of Texas-Pan American. Again, he oversaw the team's distance and middle-distance runners, including two individual NCAA XC qualifiers and an Outdoor T&F qualifier.   

Traveling back to Virginia in 2006, he began working at the Potomac River Running Store, where he still remains today as the Senior Manager. While there, he enjoyed a successful stint on the high school level, serving as an Assistant Coach for Lake Braddock Secondary School, where he helped the girl's cross country team capture the state championship in addition to winning numerous regional titles in both cross country and track & field. He assisted the girl's 4x800-meter relay team to an eighth-place finish at the Penn Relays, earning the squad All-American honors. Cunningham also saw the girl's distance-medley relay team place sixth at the Indoor National Scholastics. The girl's team was ranked 22nd in the nation by American Track and Field magazine. 

In 2013, he jumped back into the collegiate scene with his first Head Coach position at Simmons College in Boston. In just one season, he coached the squad to a third-place finish at the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship, with four of his student athletes finishing in the top 15. 

His one-year stay at Simmons led him to Wellesley College in 2014 where he took over as the Assistant Coach for cross country and track & field. While there, the cross country team qualified for the NCAA Championships for the first time in 26 years, had three Academic All-Americans, boasted the Indoor/Outdoor ECAC 5k champion, and had three Outdoor NCAA Championship qualifiers all finishing in the top 10. 

In 2015, he moved back to Virginia where he continued as a Senior Manager at Potomac River Running. Cunningham, since 2008, has also coached as part of the PR Training Programs in Virginia, where he supervises various athlete groups training for competitions from five kilometers to 50 miles in distance. 

"Quite honestly, I'm chomping at the bit to get the student athletes on campus and begin the hard work of preparing for the championship season," Cunningham said. 

Cunningham received a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from William and Mary in 1998. He and his wife, Michelle, reside in Centreville, Virginia.