Chris Parno

Chris Parno enters his 14th season as the Associate Head Coach for Track and Field at Minnesota State University, where he leads the men’s and women’s sprint, hurdle & relay groups and serves as the program’s recruiting coordinator. Under his leadership, Maverick sprinters and hurdlers have achieved unprecedented success, consistently rewriting school records and establishing MSU as a national powerhouse in the sprints and hurdles within NCAA Division II.

Parno’s coaching philosophy blends technical instruction with a strong developmental approach, resulting in numerous All-American performances and National Champions. His impact extends beyond the collegiate level—as a respected educator in the coaching community, Parno serves as a lead instructor for USA Track & Field’s Level 1 certification program and contributes as an instructor for both Level 2 and Level 3 courses. His commitment to the sport and coach education has positioned him as a sought-after mentor and clinician nationwide.

1 - NCAA National Team Championship
4 - NCAA National Team Runner-up
3 - Olympians
24 - Individual/relay NCAA National Champions
21 - Individual/relay NCAA National Runner-Ups
225 - NCAA All-Americans (176 first team, 49 second team)
4 - USTFCCCA National Assistant Coach of the Year
4 - USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Year
6 - USTFCCCA National Championship High Point Scorer Award
13 - USTFCCCA Assistant Coach of the Year - Central Region
12 - NSIC Assistant Coach of the Year
39 - NSIC Team Conference Championships (indoor, outdoor)
116 - NSIC Individual/Conference Champions
41 - NSIC Relay Conference Champions
516 - All-NSIC performances
548 - NCAA national qualifying performances (provisional/auto)
27 - Drake Relay Championships
DII Record – Women’s 4x200m (1:34.87)
DII Record – Denisha Cartwright 60mh (7.93)
DII Record – Myles Hunter 60mh (7.53)
DII Record – Denisha Cartwright 100mh (12.60)