May 15, 2025
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"I think it’s really important to celebrate the intermediate steps along the way because if you’re only thinking about the highest level of the NCAA…it gets overwhelming. You have to have those goals along the way."
We’re back with more Office Hours episodes. My guest today is someone that’s become synonymous with Hoya distance running — Brandon Bonsey, the head men’s cross country coach and longtime leader of Georgetown’s storied middle-distance program.
He’s more than a decade into his coaching career on the Hilltop — Bonsey has guided the Hoyas to dozens of All-America honors, multiple Big East titles, and a steady presence at the national level across cross country and track. A proud alum himself, Bonsey competed for Georgetown from 2004 to 2009, and since returning to his alma mater, he’s played a pivotal role in both honoring the program’s legacy and evolving it for today’s generation.
In this episode, we talk about what it’s like to coach at the place that shaped you, what he learned from mentors like Pat Henner and Chris Fox, and how he’s helping develop two of the most exciting young middle-distance talents in the country — Tinoda Matsatsa and Abel Teffra. We also get into recruiting at a high-academic institution, what sets the Georgetown culture apart, and how Bonsey blends emotional investment with long-view composure as a coach.
This is a great one for anyone who loves hearing how tradition meets innovation in today’s NCAA coaching landscape.
Host: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram
Guest: Brandon Bonsey | @thebonz21 on Instagram
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Chris Chavez
Chris Chavez launched CITIUS MAG in 2016 as a passion project while working full-time for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and grew his humble blog into a multi-pronged media company. He completed all six World Marathon Majors and on Feb. 15th, 2025 finally broke five minutes for the mile.
