Chris Bayless is entering his ninth season as head coach of the cross country and track and field programs at Ursinus. In his previous eight seasons, Bayless has seen his athletes set 172 school records. A total of 77 athletes have stood atop the medal stand at Centennial championships (seven of which were named Centennial Conference Performers of the Year), while 126 have earned a medal at Centennial championships. Thirteen of his athletes have competed at NCAA championships.


In 2008, Bayless guided Christa Johnson to the NCAA Mid-East Cross Country title, while setting the regional record in the process.


Bayless was just named Chair of the NCAA Track & Field Rules Committee. He currently serves on the ECAC Track and Field Committee (in his 6th year) and is United States of America Track and Field (USATF) Level 2 certified in sprints/hurdles, jumps and distance. 


Addition to excellence on the athletic venue, Bayless’ teams are among the best in Division III in GPA’s year in and year out.


Bayless graduated from Morgan State, where he was a standout long distance performer. He was named Morgan State Track and Field Athlete of the Year in 1988 and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Athlete of the Year in 1989, was MEAC Cross Country Champion in 1989-90 and achieved second team All-America status in both cross country and track and field in 1989-90. He also reached the 10,000-meter and marathon Olympic Trials Qualifier from 1984-1988 and was named a USA Track and Field Coach in 1998.


Bayless founded the Athletes’ Foot Track and Field Club in May 1999 and helped it gain membership into USA Track and Field. He was also the first coach in the country to enroll in and complete the U.S. Track Coaches Association’s Track and Field Coaches Diploma Program, where he was further educated in how to properly teach and coach every cross country and track and field event.