Deanna Bradley was born in Seymour, Indiana and grew up in Holton.  She graduated as a 4-sport athlete from South Ripley High School and went on to receive her Bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University and her Master’s degree from Western Illinois University

Bradley has served as Athletic Director of St. Mary of the Woods College in St. Mary of the Woods, Indiana since she arrived in 1991. After all sport programs were cancelled in 1992, Bradley put together a task force committee to study the potential benefits of athletics at SMWC, and after a 1-year hiatus, started rebuilding.  Deanna successfully began with women’s basketball in the 1994-95 season in what was to be the school's first athletic scholarship program.  Along the way, she has added thirteen programs to the institution, further bolstered by the move to add men’s sports to the formerly all women’s institution in 2015. 

Under her helm St. Mary of the Woods has seen 31 post season appearances, earning an impressive 13 USCAA National Championships and 12 National Championship Runners-Up. 

Bradley served as the head women’s basketball coach at SMWC since 1991 and led the Pomeroys in almost every season since.  In her tenure Bradley had an National Small College National Championship runner-up and also had five teams qualify for the USCAA Division I National tournament.  She produced 35  All-Academic student-athletes, three All-American First Team members, five  All-American Second Team members, and one GTE Academic All-American.    Bradley resigned as head coach on March 14, 2018.

In addition to her vast accomplishments on her campus, Bradley gave back to the association as well, serving a six-year stint on the USCAA Board of Directors from 2007-2013.  Not only an advocate for the growth of the association, Bradley served on several committees and sub-committees to advance the USCAA in its most prominent time of growth.  Today, she is as a member of the Ripley County Basketball Hall of Fame (the first female athlete from South Ripley High School to receive this honor) and was also inducted into the Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods College Inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017.

Deanna Bradley | St. Mary of the Woods College

• Athletic Director (1991-present)
• Brought back athletics to SMWC after a one year hiatus
• USCAA Board of Directors (2007-2013)
• St. Mary of the Woods College Hall of Fame (Class of 2017)
• Ripley County Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee