Chris Haines, a native of Winthrop Harbor, IL, is a 1983 graduate of Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Political Science/Education and a Masters in Educational Counseling from Northern Arizona University.
Chris has over 20 years of college coaching experience, in 1984 she was appointed the head women's volleyball coach at Yankton College in Yankton, South Dakota and led the team to it's first ever play off appearance. From 1985-1988, Coach Haines was the Head Women's Volleyball and Basketball coach at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas. Again, Coach Haines lead the women's basketball team to it's first ever conference play-off appearance.
From 1988-1990, Chris was the Assistant Volleyball and Softball coach at Mesa Community College in Mesa Arizona. The MCC volleyball team competed for the regional championship only to lose to power house, Eastern Arizona College.
In 1990, Chris was hired as the Head Women's Basketball coach at South Mountain Community College, where she built her team from 6 athletes to 15 student athletes and a play-off birth in 1996. In 1996, Coach Haines was hired as Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator at Weber State University (NCAA Div I) in Ogden, Utah. The summer of 1998 saw Coach Haines return to SMCC as interim Athletic Director for Dr. Douglas Ferguson who was on Sabbatical leave. From 1999-Spring 2003 Chris served as the Assistant Director of Athletics and the Women’s Golf coach at SMCC.
In the summer of 2003 Chris was selected as only the second Director of Athletics in SMCC history. During her tenure she has made some significant changes to Cougar Athletics; a new and updated athletics logo, assisted in the web page development, the addition of a full time coaching position and implemented the F.A.R. program (Faculty Athletic Representative). Significant improvements where also made on the soccer and softball fields as well as a new scoring system in the Cougar gym. A Community service component is a requirement for all Cougar teams and coaches and the Cougar Kick Off is a yearly event established to assist parents and student athletes with NJCCA and college policies, procedures and expectations. Finally an academic class was created in 2006, CPD150, for athletes only. The class is a requirement for all new student athletes and covers topics from career counseling, decision making, and life skills.
In 2005 Chris was selected as the NJCAA Administrator of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators.(NACWAA) The awards, presented by Jostens, go to NACWAA members who have made significant contributions as administrators of intercollegiate athletics.
Fall 2007 Chris was inducted into the Black Hills State University, Athletic Hall of Fame in Spearfish, South Dakota.
Currently, Chris is the Athletic and Fitness Center Director, Women's NJCAA Region I Director, NJCAA DII Women's Basketball Committee Chair, and is a member of the NATYCAA and NACDA Executive Committee as an at large representative.
GO COUGARS!!