Chris Solinsky Promoted to Head Coach at William & Mary

Chris Solinsky Promoted to Head Coach at William & Mary

World championship finalist Chris Solinsky was promoted to head coach of the men's distance program at William & Mary, the university announced this week. S

Sep 8, 2016 by Taylor Dutch
Chris Solinsky Promoted to Head Coach at William & Mary
World championship finalist Chris Solinsky was promoted to head coach of the men's distance program at William & Mary, the university announced this week

Solinsky's promotion follows two years of working as an assistant coach for the Tribe's men's and women's teams. He will serve as the head men's cross country coach during the fall in addition to coaching the men's distance and middle distance programs during the indoor and outdoor track seasons. 

"People who know cross country and distance running know Chris Solinsky," Tribe director of track and field Alex Heacock said. "The athlete from his days as a multiple-time NCAA champion at Wisconsin, to his brilliant exploits as a professional runner. What they probably don't know is that Chris has been able to use those experiences to effectively coach and motivate the men and women in our program for the past two years, and I believe he is very worthy of this new role as head men's distance coach."

While competing professionally, Solinsky qualified to represent the United States at the 2009 world championships, where he finished 12th in the 5K. He earned five NCAA titles while competing for Wisconsin during his college days, and famously set the then-American record in the 10K at the 2010 Payton Jordan Invitational. 

Watch the final moments of the 2010 Payton Jordan race below:


Before moving to Williamsburg, Virginia, Solinsky served as a volunteer assistant coach for the Portland Pilots, who finished 12th at the 2012 NCAA Cross Country Championships and improved to seventh in 2013. While serving as an assistant coach to the Tribe squad, Solinsky helped guide the team to top finishes in the Colonial Athletic Association Conference and NCAA ranks.