2012 Men's Cross Country Coaches
Chris Adams Image
Chris Adams - Head Coach - 4th Season

Adams has settled in for what will be his third season as head coach for both the rapidly emerging Ashford men's and women's track and field programs and his fifth overall in a coaching capacity.

After transitioning into the 2010-11 academic year with assumed head coaching responsibilities, Adams has also maintained status as the assistant men's and women's cross country for the Saints.

To date, Adams has brought in student-athletes and ushered in an era that features 55 NAIA National Qualifiers (27 indoor/28 outdoor), seven NAIA All-Americans, and 14 individuals who have claimed top-10 finishes at the NAIA National Championships.

The Saints enjoyed unprecedented success in Adams' first full year at the helm, smashing a plethora of school records while sending a record number of student-athletes to the NAIA National Championships during the indoor and outdoor campaigns. His efforts resulted in MCC Coach of the Year honors for the indoor season.

Adams has undergone training in Boulder, Colo., to successfully obtain his USATF Level 2 Coaching Certification. He specialized as a sprints coach at AU as an assistant prior to taking over his head coaching duties.

Adams originally came to the Saints by way of Quincy, Ill., where he attended Quincy Senior High School. Upon graduation, he attended NCAA Division I Western Illinois University where specialized in 200 and 400-meter distances.

After completing a successful career where he was a seven-time NCAA Regional Qualifier at WIU, Adams spent one year as an assistant coach for the Leathernecks.

Adams then served as an assistant coach for two years at Davenport Assumption High School for both the men's and women's track teams. During his tenure, he helped the women's unit bring home runner-up honors in the 2008 Iowa state meet.

Adams obtained his teaching certification and taught at DeWitt Middle School and Camanche High School in the fall/winter of 2009.

Adams is married to his wife, Audra, an Ashford employee in the human resources department and assistant track and field coach. They reside together in nearby Camanche with their daughter, Annalynn.

Adams By The Numbers (2010-Present)

  • NAIA National Qualifiers - 55 (27 Indoor/28 Outdoor)
  • Midwest Collegiate Conference Champions - 32
  • NAIA All-Americans - 7
  • Top-10 Finishes at NAIA National Championships - 14

Coaching Honors

  • MCC Outdoor Co-Men's Track and Field Coach of the Year (2012)
  • MCC Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year (2009)

The Adams File

  • Assistant Track and Field Coach - Western Illinois University (2005-06)
  • Assistant Boys and Girls Track and Field Coach - Davenport Assumption High School (2007-08)
  • Assistant Track and Field/Cross Country Coach - Ashford University (2008-09)
  • Head Track and Field/Assistant Cross Country Coach - Ashford University (2010-Present)