He brings a philosophy of attitude, character, effort
The Newcastle School Board said they are proud to announce the promotion of Bo Bradshaw to Head Football Coach of the Newcastle Racers.
The selection follows a nationwide search led by Athletic Director Jeff Brickman, who retired from coaching in early February to focus on his administrative duties. With the renewed success of Racer football as a powerhouse in Oklahoma, Bradshaw emerged as the premier choice from a competitive pool of more than 50 applicants.
“Bo is a great leader of men,” said Athletic Director Jeff Brickman. “He has been mentored by Hall of Fame and state championship coaches Gary Rose, Mike Corley, and Mike Dunn during his time at Carl Albert, as well as Chris Jensen at Oklahoma Baptist University. Bo has an infectious personality, and I am beyond thrilled to have him take the football program to even greater success.”
Bradshaw taught and coached at Carl Albert (his alma mater) from 2017 to 2023. He is now a familiar face in the Racer community, having served as the program’s Defensive Coordinator for the past three seasons (2023– 2025). Under his leadership, the defense was instrumental in Newcastle’s back-to-back runs to the Oklahoma Class 5A State Semifinals in 2024 and 2025.
Superintendent Dr. Cathy Walker expressed full confidence in the appointment, stating, “Coach Bradshaw meets all of our needs for what it means to be a Newcastle Racer coach. He is deeply invested in the community and has a clear vision for the football program that aligns with the community as a whole.”
Beyond the turf, Bradshaw has distinguished himself as an elite English teacher. High School Principal Adam Hull praised his impact as an educator, noting that Bradshaw embodies the philosophy that elite coaching is rooted in elite teaching. “The best teachers coach their students, and the best coaches are great teachers,” added Brickman, citing the philosophy of legendary coach Grant Teaff. “Bo is ready to do it the right way.”
Bradshaw has been nominated for Teacher of the Year at Carl Albert High School (2020–2021 and 2022– 2023) and at Newcastle High School (2025–2026). He also received the Geraldine Burns Award for Excellence in English Studies from the Oklahoma Council of Teachers of English (OKCTE).
Coach Bradshaw holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Education from Oklahoma Baptist University, where he was also a member of the football team. This is where he and Coach Brickman first crossed paths when Brickman served as the offensive coordinator and Bradshaw played linebacker. They initially met in 2012 when Brickman coached against Carl Albert and Bradshaw was the Titans’ starting linebacker. Their coaching paths crossed several times over the years before Bradshaw was hired as the Racers’ Defensive Coordinator in 2023.
Bradshaw was a four-year letterman at Carl Albert High School, a two-time state champion (2009, 2012), an All-District selection, the team’s Defensive Player of the Year, and a team captain. He went on to play four years of college football at Oklahoma Baptist University, where he was an Academic All-American, a Student-Athlete Advisory Board BRADSHAW on page 3 member, and a special teams captain.
BRADSHAW: looks to equip players for their futures
As an assistant coach at Carl Albert, Bradshaw was part of a staff that won five state championships (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022). He served as the school’s recruiting coordinator, helping multiple players earn college scholarships, including two who eventually reached the NFL.
Bradshaw also served as the program’s social media content coordinator and coached linebackers, defensive backs, running backs, and quarterbacks.
During his tenure as Defensive Coordinator at Newcastle High School, his defenses helped the Racers become the second-ranked program in Class 5A (behind only his alma mater Carl Albert) over the past two seasons based on district points.
In his first season as defensive coordinator, the Racers reached the Class 4A quarterfinals. In 2024 and 2025, Newcastle advanced to the Class 5A State Semifinals.
“It is an honor to be named the next head football coach at Newcastle High School,” said Coach Bradshaw. “Coach Brickman has left a legacy here that I am excited to continue, and I am thankful to grow under his leadership as he remains the Athletic Director. I’ve enjoyed coaching the ‘Fast ‘N Furious’ defense the last three seasons, and I look forward to implementing that same mindset and vision for the program as a whole. It is a privilege to be in such an influential position. This game has made an incredible impact on my life, and I look forward to using football to equip these players for their futures.”
Newcastle can look forward to a program built on Bradshaw’s “ACE” philosophy: controlling the controllables through Attitude, Character, and Effort.
Bradshaw and his wife, Kenzi have been married for nearly nine years. She is the new Children’s Pastor at VFC Newcastle. They have two children: their son, Beckham, is in kindergarten at the ECC, and their daughter, Whitley, is in preschool.
