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JU hires Bambi Brundage as its new track and field director

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University has turned the page from a turbulent time in track and field history and started anew with the hire of three coaches on Thursday.

The Dolphins announced Bambi Brundage as the school’s director of track and field. Jordon Garman will lead the cross country and distance programs and Jatavia Wright was hired as an assistant.

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Brundage has excellent competitive credentials and a big time familiarity with the Dolphins. As an athlete, Brundage was a two-year captain on the University of Oklahoma track and field team and a two-time Big 12 champ in the discus and shot put.

“I am thrilled to lead this program,” Brundage said. “I appreciate Alex Ricker-Gilbert and Senior Associate AD Dee Brown for believing in me and giving me this incredible opportunity. “JU is my family and my home,” she continued. “This institution aligns with my values and continues to give me the opportunity to grow professionally and personally. I am excited to lead this team and create a culture of excellence among our student athletes.”

It’s a new start for the program which was plagued by scandal under former coach Ron Grigg. Former JU runner Julia Pernsteiner was 23 when she committed suicide. She alleged the coach emotionally abused her and other athletes, even speaking to a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office police officer about it weeks before her death.

In a lawsuit filed by Pernsteiner’s parents, their daughter suffered from ADHD and severe dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia.

“As a direct and proximate result of the conduct of Defendant Grigg, Julia Pernsteiner suffered depression, anxiety, stress and suicidal ideation,” the lawsuit reads.

Brundage is a familiar name to the Dolphins program. She was with JU for 20 of its conference championship seasons. JU had stretches of 10 consecutive ASUN indoor and outdoor championship seasons. Brundage took a break from full-time coaching for three years and continued to work with the school in a variety of administrative and leadership roles.

“Welcoming Bambi Brundage back to the track and field program was a no-brainer, and now tapping her to lead the program she is so familiar with gives us an opportunity to utilize her wealth of knowledge to take the program forward,” said Senior Vice President/Athletic Director Alex Ricker-Gilbert. “Bambi is JU through and through and is undoubtedly the best choice to make this program championship-level again.”

Garman will have oversight of the men’s and women’s cross country programs and help out with the track distance runners. He had been an assistant and head coach of the men’s cross country team since 2019.

Wright is a newcomer to Jacksonville. She was in the same role at Eastern Kentucky and then an assistant and interim head coach at South Carolina State


About the Author
Justin Barney headshot

Justin Barney joined News4Jax in February 2019, but he’s been covering sports on the First Coast for more than 20 years.

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