Brian is an professor of sport psychology in the School of Kinesiology & Health Sciences at Adams State University where he teaches graduate courses in sport psychology and coaching education as well as a variety of other courses in Kinesiology. Brian is the graduate program coordinator for the MS in Applied Sport Psychology graduate program. Brian created this fully online program in 2016 serve a need in educating applied sport psychology professionals and those working in an around human performance settings. Brian is also the creator and director of the Joe I. Vigil Center for Human Performance and Coach Education at Adams State University.

Brian worked as the mental performance coach for the Adams State University Cross Country and Track and Field programs from 2014-2019 that have a strong tradition of excellence as evidenced by the 56 national team titles they have won. He assisted in coaching all event groups and provided mental strength training services to the coaches and athletes. Brian has worked with athletes and coaches in a variety of sports from youth level to the Olympic level.

Brian is a certified mental performance consultant through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. He also was a certified strength and conditioning specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association 2008-2020 and a certified exercise physiologist with the American College of Sports Medicine 2009-2021.

Brian is working with the USATF Sport Psychology service delivery team providing coach and athlete education as well as continuing research to support USATF and their mission.

He also has experience working in fitness and wellness settings with his personal training clients utilizing mental strength training to improve their performance and quality of life.  Brian has a strong pedigree in applied sport psychology as his mentors and their mentors were some of the leaders in the field for many years.  His applied sport psychology education came from Dr. Ralph Vernacchia and Dr. Rick Mcguire. Dr. Vernacchia was educated by Dr. Keith Henschen and Dr. McGuire was a pupil of Dr. Bob Rotella. 

His research interests are coaching and leadership. His Master’s thesis: Leadership Characteristics of Successful NCAA Division I Track and Field Head Coaches, which was published in USTFCCA Techniques coaching journal. His dissertation work consisted of case studies of Olympic Track and Field medal winning athletes and coaches from the United States, focusing on the coach-athlete relationship as part of a larger study on the Olympic medal winners from the United States London Games in conjunction with USATF.

Through the Missouri Institute for Positive Coaching, Brian served as a member of a team of coaches and educators assisting Dr. Rick McGuire with curriculum development, coaches’ education and instruction, and applied sport psychology services to coaches and athletes.  He taught graduate and undergraduate courses in Positive Coaching both online and on campus. He was also a member of the Men4Men Panel dedicated to character education programming for University of Missouri male athletes. 

Brian began his academic career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying Kinesiology with a major in Physical Education and minors in secondary health education and adaptive physical education.  He received his bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sport Science in 2009 from Western Washington University, where he also received his Master of Science degree in Human Movement and Performance with an emphasis in Sport Psychology under the direction of Dr. Ralph Vernacchia.  He earned a doctoral degree in Health Education and Promotion with an emphasis in Sport Psychology at the University of Missouri.  

In college he was a nationally competitive 3-event water skier.  He also was the manager for 3 years with the University of Wisconsin-Madison men’s track and field team. The team was undefeated in the Big 10 in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field championships and were 2005 cross country national champions, and 2007 indoor track and field national champions.  The team had a 2x national champion in cross country and a 5x national champion in track and field along with 40+ All-Americans, and 19 Academic All-Americans.  He also was an assistant coach with the Western Washington University men’s and women’s track and field teams for 3 years.  The men’s team was conference champions in 2010.  The team had one male 4x national champion, and three female national champions, 26 All-Americans, 21 Academic All-Americans.  He helped coach 7 All-Americans, 4 Academic All-Americans, 24 school record holders, and 16 conference champions.  He was an assistant coach with the men’s and women’s cross country and track and field teams at the University of Missouri for 3 years. The team had 2 All-Americans in cross country and track and field team had 24 All-Americans.  The women’s team was an Academic All-American team all 3 years in cross country and track and field.  The men’s team was an Academic All-American team 2 years in cross country and 2 years in track and field.  The combined men’s and women’s track and field teams had 45 Academic All-Americans.

Brian grew up in Freedom, WI where he played many sports as a youth and pursued cross country, basketball and track and field in high school.