Bradford comes to Southern Miss after spending the last three seasons at Oklahoma State as linebackers coach. During his time at OSU, he coached two freshman All-Americans by Rivals.com in 2006 with Patrick Levine (first team) and Chris Collins (second team).

Prior to his time at OSU, Bradford worked on the other side of the football as the offensive coordinator at Brigham Young for two seasons. While at BYU, he coached a pair of award-winning wide receivers in Todd Watkins, an honorable mention All-American, and Austin Collie, the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year as well as a Freshman All-American.

Bradford served as secondary and kickoff coverage coach at Middle Tennessee in 2002, and was the defensive backs coach at Wisconsin from 2000-01. While with the Badgers, Bradford tutored Jamar Fletcher, who led the Big Ten in interceptions and won the Jim Thorpe Award. Fletcher then was taken in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.

From 1997-2000, Bradford worked on the defensive staff at Louisiana Tech and also served as the defensive coordinator there. Bradford was also on the defensive staff at Eastern Michigan from 1995-97 where that unit broke 43 school records.

He was the defensive coordinator at Lehigh in 1994 and helped guide the school to the Patriot League championship game, while boasting the league's second-best defense. Bradford began his coaching career in 1987 at his alma mater, Southern Utah, before moving on to New Hampshire as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 1988-93.

Bradford, and wife, Sondra, have a son, Kody, and three daughters, Ashlee, Hailee and Whitnee.