Wheeling, W. Va. - Over the last two seasons, Gage Bradshaw has helped the Wheeling University Men's Lacrosse program grow from the ground up. He has led the program as the interim head coach to a 9-19 overall record and a 5-8 record in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) play during his two seasons. He has had several players write their names into the program record books as well as achieve several honors for their work in the classroom. On Thursday, the Wheeling University Athletic Department formally announced the hiring of Bradshaw as the Head Men's Lacrosse Coach, solidifying his leadership of the program for years to come.

"I have loved being a part of the growth of this roster over the last two years, and I'm excited to push for accelerated success as we look towards the future of our growing program," said Bradshaw. "I have been very fortunate to be around such a great group of young men in my time here and have seen firsthand the impact they have had on this program. I am excited to bring more likeminded and talented players to the future of this team. I would like to give a special thank you to President Ginny Favede as well as Athletic Director Carrie Hanna for this special opportunity to continue to build the Wheeling Men's Lacrosse culture."

Over his first two seasons as interim head coach of the Cardinals, Bradshaw has helped bring the program back to prominence after going through a complete rebuild in 2020. In 2023, the team finished 5-10 overall and 3-4 in GMAC play, marking their highest win total since they last made the GMAC playoffs back in 2018. The season included big conference wins against Davis & Elkins, Malone, and Alderson Broaddus and, heading into the final week of the season, the Cardinals were within one game of making the GMAC Tournament for the first-time since that, 2018 season. As a team, the Cardinals averaged 11.86 goals per game while owning a .304 shooting percentage and a .604 shot on goal percentage. They were among the conference leaders in both shooting percentage (.304) and Points per Game (19.60) sitting third and fourth respectively.

Along with the team accolades, Bradshaw also has helped several Cardinals write their name in the program record books during his tenure. During the 2023 season, the Cardinals saw two single-season records fall as Mike Andersson and Ty Taylor each wrote their names into the Wheeling record books. Andersson set the new single-season goals record with 55 across the team's 15 games played while leading the GMAC in goals scored. He was named a First Team All-GMAC honoree for his efforts, earning All-Conference honors for the first time in his career. The other record to fall was the single-season points record as Ty Taylor set the new mark with 64 points.

Since taking over the program during the 2022 season, Bradshaw has coached two All-GMAC honorees and helped former Cardinal Mat Anderson earn United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Third Team All-North Region following the 2022 season. Along with the on-field accolades, Bradshaw's teams have performed well in the classroom with 22 student athletes earning spots on the All-GMAC Academic team. He has nearly doubled the program's roster size over those two years and brought a winning culture back to the Wheeling Men's Lacrosse program.

"We are excited to have Coach [Gage] Bradshaw continue to progress and build our Men's Lacrosse program," said Wheeling University Athletics Director Carrie Hanna. "He brings exceptional positive and professional leadership standards that will help our program moving forward."

Prior to taking over as Interim Head Coach of the program during the 2022 season, Bradshaw was hired as a Graduate Assistant in 2021, where he assisted with the Cardinal's defensive strategy. Before his Graduate Assistantship at Wheeling, Bradshaw coached at Dallas Jesuit under legendary high school Head Coach Chris Surran. Dallas Jesuit, which is routinely one of the top programs in the country, was named the No. 1 team in the USA Southeast Region by Inside Lacrosse ahead of the 2020 season. In addition to Dallas Jesuit, Bradshaw also coached with Iron Horse Lacrosse - Dallas.

The Plano, Texas native played two seasons as a member of the Rutgers University Men's Lacrosse team during the 2016 & 2017 seasons before ending his career with two seasons at Jacksonville University. Bradshaw played alongside several Premiere Lacrosse League (PLL) players in his career, including Jules Heningburg, Michael Rexrode, and Ryan Beville.

Bradshaw and the 2024 Wheeling University Men's Lacrosse team are preparing for the upcoming season as they look to make another run at the GMAC Tournament.