Chris Benassi was named the head coach for the men’s and women’s Cross Country and Track & Field programs at SCAD Atlanta in April 2021. Benassi arrived at the role with competitive experience at the Division 1 level at both Texas Christian University and Auburn University. He is in his seventh year of collegiate coaching, most recently as the head cross country and track and field coach at Hood College (Md.).
At Hood, Benassi lead the teams to significant improvements from 2018 to 2021, where his athletes recorded 11 school record performances across each event area of track and field and guided the 2019 men’s and women’s cross country teams to the best regional finish in school history. This performance also marked the largest improvement of any in the 75-team NCAA Mideast Region of NCAA Division III.
Prior to his time at Hood College, Benassi was an assistant cross country and track and field coach at Nova Southeastern University (Fla.) from 2017-2018. As part of the Shark’s coaching staff, Benassi specialized in working with the distance runners, resulting in an All-South Region performance by Ian McQuate and the Peach Belt Conference Champion in the 1500m, Raphael de Bonnieres. The women’s squad also went on to claim the 2017 Peach Belt Conference Championship, the first in school history.
Benassi began his collegiate coaching career at Humboldt State University (Calif.) as a graduate assistant coach from 2013-2015, where he primarily recruited and coached the Lumberjack distance runners. During that span, the Lumberjacks produced eight conference champions and 15 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship qualifying performers. Two of the distance athletes Benassi coached went on to earn All-American honors at the 2017 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Benassi earned his master’s degree in kinesiology from Humboldt State University in 2015 and his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Auburn University in 2007. He also is a USTFCCCA Specialist in the Endurance, Jumps, Throws, and Strength and Conditioning along with being a USATF Level 2 certified coach in the Sprints, Hurdles, and Relays.
