Radford Christmas Parade Grand Marshall Announced

The spirit of the season is arriving early in Radford this year, as the City of Radford is honored to announce Mike McGuire, Radford University’s all-time winningest women’s basketball coach, as the Grand Marshal of the 2025 Radford Christmas / Holiday Parade.

Coach McGuire, now in his 13th season leading the Highlanders, has carved out a historic career at Radford. With 194 career wins, he surpassed Hall of Famer Pat Barrett to become the all-time winningest coach in Radford Basketball history.

Under his leadership, Radford has appeared in four WNIT postseason tournaments and earned an NCAA Tournament berth in 2019. In Big South Conference play, McGuire has compiled a record of 133–87, including multiple regular season championships, tournament success, and a strong home-court advantage with a 102–47 record at the Dedmon Center.

McGuire has also been recognized as Big South Coach of the Year three times (2015, 2018, 2019), becoming the first coach in program history to earn that distinction. During his 13 seasons, he has guided 27 Highlanders to All-Big South honors.

Beyond wins on the court, Coach McGuire has helped build a program rooted in character. His teams have earned perfect 1000 APR scores in five seasons, and 11 conference All-Academic selections under his watch.

“We are honored to have Highlander Women’s Head Coach McGuire serve as Grand Marshal,” said Mayor David Horton. “His outstanding leadership has helped Radford student-athletes succeed on and off the court, providing them a pathway for great success in life after college”.

Coach Mike McGuire said, “It has been a privilege to serve as the head Women’s Basketball Coach at Radford and to be a part of a special community in the City of Radford. Radford has become home for my family and I and we cherish opportunities to be engaged with the community. It is an honor to be asked to be the Grand Marshal for this year’s City of Radford Christmas Parade. We look forward to being a part of this annual tradition and help build the Christmas spirit with the local community.”

The 2025 Radford Christmas / Holiday Parade will be held on December 9, beginning at 7:00p.m. The City invites all residents, students, faculty, and fans to join in the festivities and to cheer on Coach McGuire in his celebrated role.