Chris Lessard was named the University of Mary head men’s and women’s cross country coach and assistant track & field coach on June 17, 2022, and arrives at UMary following an impressive coaching progression over the last four seasons.
(UMary elevates Korbelik to head track & field coach, Lessard named head cross county coach)
Serving as the NCAA Division I New Jersey Institute of Technology Cross Country/Distance Coach for the 2021-22 season, his men’s and women’s cross country scholar-athletes all posted personal records by the end of the season while over 15 school records were set during the indoor track season in the middle-distance and distance events.
“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to lead the University of Mary cross country team and the mid-distance and distance student-athletes on the track,” said Lessard. “UMary has an incredibly rich history of success, and I am fortunate to be able to lead them alongside Coach Korbelik. I am looking forward to getting to know all of the student-athletes and getting started over the next few weeks. I would like to thank Coach Korbelik, Dan Huntley, Jerome Richter and Monsignor Shea for the opportunity to work, grow, and spread our Greatness Through Virtue plan!”
During the 2020-21 season, Lessard was the assistant cross country and track coach plus recruiting coordinator at West Texas A&M. He helped coach 23 national qualifiers for a powerful Buffs program that placed third at both the men’s and women’s 2021 NCAA Division II indoor championships. He co-managed all aspects of the men's and women's programs, including training design, scheduling, travel, recruiting, scholarships, budgeting and ordering for WTAMU.
In his lone season at Southwest Baptist University in 2019-20 as the assistant cross country and indoor track coach and recruiting coordinator, the women’s team finished 20
th in the NCAA Division II cross country championships with two Bearcats earning All-American honors as Lessard strategized the team’s race execution. In the program’s 1
st season racing in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, the women’s team placed second indoors, and the men captured 3
rd.
Lessard started his collegiate coaching career at Chabot College in 2018-19, where he helped facilitate the annual San Francisco Distance Carnival Meet and coached several scholar-athletes to the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) state championships in distance events (800, 3k, 5k, 10K, Steeplechase).
A 2018 graduate of California State University, East Bay with a bachelor of philosophy degree, Lessard ran cross country and track for the Pioneers and was an intern in the CSUEB athletics compliance department. He also ran collegiately for Central Arizona College. Lessard is currently completing a master’s degree from WTAMU in exercise science and sports management.
Lessard inherits a UMary women’s cross country program that finished 10
th at the 2021 NCAA Division II championships last fall. The Marauders men’s team placed 2
nd at the 2021 NSIC championships, a program-best finish.
Overall, the Marauders men’s and women’s cross country and track & field programs have claimed 56 conference team championships over the last 29 years.
