Meet the Coach
Chris Highfield enters his fifth year with his three-part role with Florida Golf Coast University. Highfield enters his fifth year as the head coach for the men's and women's cross country programs, as well as serving as an assistant coach with the men's basketball program. He also is in his third year working as an Admissions Recruitment Coordinator for FGCU.
Serving as the head coach of the cross country programs at FGCU, Highfield has built both programs from scratch, creating and developing every aspect of each the men's and women's programs. He oversees and directs all day-to-day cross country operations, including recruitment of student athletes, scheduling, budgeting and fundraising, practice and race coaching and NCAA compliance matters.
He has led the Eagles to two NCAA Division II South Regional trips in 2004 and 2005. During the 2005-06 season, the women's program earned the prestigious NCAA Division II All-Academic team award after posting a 3.46 GPA. In addition, his women's program has also earned three FGCU Athletic Director's Award (Highest Team GPA) with a 3.52 GPA (2005-06) a 3.75 GPA (2004-05) and a 3.65 GPA (2003-04).
Highfield also coached the first two student-athletes (Edison Vasquez and Katy Steffan) in FGCU's school history to compete at a sanctioned NCAA Championship Event – the 2004 Cross Country South Regional Meet in Memphis, Tennessee on November 6, 2004.
In his four years with the basketball program, he has helped the Eagles to three 20-plus win seasons and a 2005 NCAA Division II South Regional Championships appearance. As an assistant coach, Highfield wears multiple hats. His on-floor coaching responsibilities include skill development and drills for both perimeter and post players, and significant involvement in the development of offensive strategies and game plans. He is the primary scouting coach, which also involves creating the scouting schedule for all coaches and coordinating video and film exchange with opposing teams. Highfield serves as the NCAA compliance coordinator, responsible for all eligibility issues. He is co-recruiting coordinator, travel coordinator for all road trips, and co-academic advisor, having weekly contact with professors and regular progress report sessions with the student-athletes. During the summer Highfield serves as the director of the FGCU's summer basketball camps.
Before coming to FGCU, Highfield served as an assistant coach at Saint Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Indiana for one season (2000-01). While there he helped guide the Pumas to an 18-13 overall mark and an appearance in the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament.
Prior to his tenure at Saint Joseph's, Highfield spent time as a Team USA Administrative Projects Intern for USA Triathlon in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He worked at the Olympic Training Center helping organize the athletes’ schedules and daily office operations. In addition, he helped organize three major national racing events that summer (1999): National World Long Course Triathlon Championships (Sater, Sweden); National Olympic Distance Triathlon Championships (Montreal, Canada) and the National Duathlon World Championships. He also attended the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia and assisted Team USA in its competition in the inaugural Olympics for the sport of Triathlon.
Highfield graduated from the University of Michigan in 2002 from the school of Kinesiology, with a degree in Sports Management and Communications. While there he spent five years (1995-2000) as a student basketball assistant and head team manager (1999-2000). Additionally, Highfield was a member of both the Wolverines 1997 NIT Championship team and the 1998 Inaugural Big Ten Tournament Championship team.
Highfield, who is originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, is single and currently resides in Estero, Florida.
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