Chris Stroup was born in Asheville, North Carolina, and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. While attending Fort Lauderdale High School, he competed in both cross country and track & field. Though he specialized in the 400 and 800 meters, he expanded his range as a senior, qualifying for the postseason decathlon at the state championships.
Stroup went on to compete collegiately at Appalachian State University, where he was recruited by legendary coach Bob Pollock. As an 800-meter specialist, an injury during his junior year shifted his trajectory, leading Pollock to bring him on as a student assistant coach working with middle- and long-distance athletes during both indoor and outdoor seasons.
Following his collegiate career, Stroup worked as an assistant director at a substance abuse facility in South Florida, while also assisting his former high school coach with cross country and track & field. In 1991, he returned to North Carolina and began working as a medical case manager and benefits advocate with the WNC AIDS Project. During this time, he co-founded Loving Food Resources, a nonprofit food bank dedicated to supporting individuals navigating chronic and terminal illnesses.
Seeking balance from the emotional demands of social work, Stroup returned to coaching in 1996, offering his services to Asheville High School. Within two years, he was named head coach of both the boys and girls cross country teams, and shortly after took over as head track & field coach. His experience as a multi-event athlete and collegiate assistant allowed him to implement a comprehensive, collegiate-style program across all disciplines.
During his tenure at Asheville High, Stroup built one of the most successful programs in the state. His teams captured three state championships, finished as state runners-up ten times, and earned 19 regional and 29 conference titles. He coached 32 individual state champions, one Gatorade Athlete of the Year, three state meet MVPs, five All-Americans, and one national champion. His athletes also set three state records across cross country and track & field, one of which still stands today.
In 2010, Stroup’s team was ranked 16th nationally by ESPN/Rivals among more than 35,000 high schools, and finished second in the nation in dual meet team challenge rankings among state champions.
Stroup has mentored dozens of athletes who have gone on to compete at the NCAA Division I, II, III, and NAIA levels, with several earning conference championships in leagues ranging from the ACC to the Big Ten. Among his most notable athletes is Isaac Presson, a 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier.
He also coached former Asheville High standout Michael Haskin, a two-time state champion and national qualifier who has built a following of over 16,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, YouTube. Haskin is also the founder of Run Euphoric, a growing running apparel company.
Despite opportunities to transition to the collegiate level earlier in his career, Stroup remained committed to the high school ranks, where he found purpose in developing new athletes and guiding them from beginners to championship performers. That changed when the opportunity at Warren Wilson College emerged—a role deeply rooted in family history. His family’s connection to the Swannanoa Valley dates back generations, with his great-great-grandfather, born in 1776, buried just two miles from campus at Riceville Presbyterian Church Cemetery.
