BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- Cumberlands' (Ky.) baseball coach Brad Shelton has been named the 2025-26 Mid-South Conference Male Coaching for Significance Award recipient, MSC officials announced on Wednesday.
Shelton was selected for the honor by the conference's character committee. Each full-member institution is permitted to nominate one male and one female coach from their staff for the honor.
Shelton earns his second conference coaching for significance award. He also earned the honor in 2018-19.
“I am very appreciative of the recognition," Shelton said. "It’s been an honor to represent UC and to be called ‘coach’ for so long. I hope I have made a positive impact on the game and the people I’ve worked with over the years.
"Thank you to those who nominated me and to the representatives at the Mid-South Conference who selected me," Shelton added.
Shelton retired from coaching at the completion of the 2025-26 academic year.
He posted a career record of 1,150–485, including a 961–419 record at Cumberlands. Shelton led the Patriots to three NAIA World Series appearances (2023, 2024, 2025). His Patriots teams won 10 Mid-South Conference Regular-Season Championships and seven MSC Tournament titles. Shelton is an eight-time MSC Coach of the Year.
"For more than 25 seasons at the University of the Cumberlands, Coach Shelton has demonstrated extraordinary leadership, consistency, and commitment to excellence," Cumberlands Athletics Director Chris Kraftick said. "Through decades of service, he has built programs founded not only on competitive success, but also on integrity, accountability, and personal growth."
"What distinguishes Coach Shelton most is the respect he earns from his players, colleagues, and community," Cumberlands President Quentin Young said. "He leads with humility and consistency, and his players compete with confidence because they know they are valued beyond performance. His influence is evident in the culture of unity within the program and in the enduring relationships he maintains with former players who continue to look to him as a mentor."
Shelton served in a leadership role in the MSC during his career. He served as the conference's baseball chair for two years and the conference's NAIA rater for seven years. He will continue to serve as Cumberlands' Director of Outdoor Athletic Facilities
"I have seen firsthand the impact Coach Shelton has had on countless athletes, including myself," Cumberlands baseball student-athlete Caden Petrey said. "He is much more than a baseball coach. He is a leader, mentor, and role model who genuinely cares about the people he coaches."
Shelton's honor is the third time a Cumberlands coach earns the MSC Male Coaching for Significance Award.