Warren Wilson College Athletics is pleased to welcome Chris Stroup as the new Head Coach for Men's and Women's Cross-Country and the inaugural season of Men's and Women's Track & Field. Chris is originally from Asheville, North Carolina who then relocated to compete as an accomplished high school student-athlete in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where he specialized in the 400 and 800 meter races. He also competed in the Florida state championship in decathlon. From there he was recruited by legendary Appalachian State and Clemson coach, Bob Pollock, in 1980 to run for the Mountaineers. A challenging injury opened the door for assistant coaching the middle to long distance squads for both indoor and outdoor track and field at Appalachian State.  

At the conclusion of his college athletics career, Coach Stroup began his formal coaching pursuits in 1996 at Asheville High School. He served both the cross-country and track and field programs diligently, while also balancing the demands of a rigorous career in the field of social work. During his time at Asheville High School, his teams were named North Carolina State Champions three times, and runner-up on ten occasions. His record also includes an impressive number of regional championships (19) and 29 conference titles.  

Coach Stroup led a total of 32 individual event state champions, one "Gatorade Athlete of the Year" and three named as "Most Valuable" state meet performers. He also coached five All-Americans and one National Champion, who achieved three state records in cross-country and track and field, with one still standing. Stroup's 2010 team was named in ESPN/Rivals ranking 16th in the nation among 35,000+ high schools. The dual meet team challenge garnered a 2nd place ranking against all other U.S. State Champions in the same year. Student-athletes from Coach Stroup's teams have gone on to become top collegiate competitors within all divisions, and a range of conferences from the ACC to the BIG10, including a 2016 Olympic trials qualifier in Isaac Presson.       

"It has been an honor to work with student-athletes in this competitive area over many years, while also developing deep ties to the Asheville community. It is truly a privilege to get to lead the Warren Wilson Owls cross-country and track and field programs, and I'm looking forward to this exciting phase of my coaching journey here in the WNC region," said Stroup.              

While serving the Asheville community in athletics, he also worked as a medical case manager and benefits advocate for the WNC AIDS project. He also co-founded Loving Food Resources, a food bank that provides assistance to those navigating chronic and terminal illnesses. His family roots in the Swannanoa Valley area, along with a proven track record of athletic success, make Chris Stroup the ideal Head Coach to lead the cross-country and track and field programs at Warren Wilson College.