Alumni Spotlight is a new and ongoing blog series that features interviews with a variety of Darlington alumni about their careers and the impact their Darlington experience had on their lives. This week, I am excited to share a Q&A with Brad Bohannon ('93).
Brad lives and works in Auburn, Alabama and currently serves as an assistant coach with the Auburn University baseball program. He was recently named the 2015 Baseball American and American Baseball Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the year. Brad holds a bachelor's degree in finance from Berry College and a master's degree in business administration Wake Forest. He played college baseball at Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech and Berry College. Brad is married to the former Kim Traylor of Georgetown, KY. Brad’s Darlington baseball jersey and career statistics are highlighted in The Zartic Concourse Lounge in the A. J. Huffman (’67) Memorial Athletic Center.
Hear directly from Brad below.
Why is Darlington important to you?
The time I spent at Darlington exposed me to so many opportunities that I do not think would have been available had I not been a Darlington student. To this day I really cherish the relationships I built with my classmates, teachers, and coaches.
Which teacher(s) had a positive influence on your life?
Athletics have always been a big part of my life, so Gus Bell, Jerry Sharp, and Eddie Guth are coaches I played for at Darlington who helped me grow as a person as much as an athlete.
How did your time at Darlington prepare you for college and the professional world?
I did not fully appreciate it at the time, but my freshman year of college was a breeze because of how I was pushed academically at Darlington. My time at Darlington also helped me develop time management skills that are essential to being successful in college and any competitive profession.
What do you like most about the career you have chosen?
The most rewarding part of being a college coach is recruiting a 16-year-old ‘boy’ and watching him develop into a ‘young man’, while (hopefully) having a positive influence on them during that time.
You are serving as an Assistant Coach for Auburn’s baseball team, can you tell me a little more about your role?
I lead Auburn baseball’s recruiting efforts, so I have a large impact on assembling our team. That includes in-person player evaluations, directing phone and mail correspondence, campus visits, and much more. My on-field responsibilities are coaching our infielders, assisting with hitting, bunting, base running, and overall team defense. There are also speaking engagements and camp/clinic responsibilities that I do throughout the year.
What is your greatest career accomplishment?
