Ball State University Athletics
Cardinals Welcome Assistant Coach Chris Riggs
October 18, 2023 | Cross Country, Track & Field
MUNCIE, Ind. - - A proven talent developer and recruiter will be joining the Ball State track & field coaching staff as Chris Riggs has been named an assistant coach for the Cardinals, according to head coach Adrian Wheatley.
"I'm thrilled to welcome Chris Riggs to our coaching staff at Ball State," Wheatley said. "With his proven track record of developing All-American and all-conference athletes, he has the ideal skill set to take our jumping, multis and throwing groups to new heights. Under Coach Riggs' guidance, I'm confident we'll see our talented student-athletes reach even greater success and continue the tradition of excellence in these events."
Riggs has spent the past 11 years working as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Grand Canyon University where he specialized in jumps. He helped lead the GCU men's track team to three consecutive outdoor Western Athletic Conference championships, along with seven straight victories in the indoor WAC Championships.Â
Since the 2018 season when the 'Lopes transitioned to NCAA DI, Riggs has helped 31 student-athletes achieve WAC Championship titles in events such as the long, triple, and high jump. In addition, Riggs has helped four athletes qualify for the NCAA Indoor or Outdoor Championships and 17 qualify for the NCAA West Preliminary round.Â
Riggs, who earned his MBA from GCU in 2019 while also coaching, has helped mentor his student-athletes to program records in all six jumping events (men's & women's high jump, long jump and triple jump) during his time in Phoenix.
While GCU was competing at the Division II level, Riggs coached five athletes to eight All-American performances in 2013. That same year he was named the USTFCCCA Indoor West Region Women's Assistant Coach of the Year.Â
Prior to joining the 'Lopes staff, Riggs spent two seasons as the head coach for the Winward School in Los Angeles, California. Under his supervision, the sprinting program set program records in every sprint and relay event. Â
Riggs worked as the decathlon coach at UCLA for three years before moving to Winward School. During his time with the Bruins, Riggs helped coach Trent Perez to a 7,315-point, eight-place finish at the 2009 USATF U20 National Championships.Â
Before his stint with the Bruins, Riggs spent three years coaching sprints, relays and jumps at Santa Monica Community College. Along with coaching track events, he worked as the assistant cross country coach. Throughout his time with SMCC, Riggs helped several athletes achieve conference titles and CCC Championship qualifying marks.Â
Riggs began his coaching career at his alma mater Colorado State, assisting with the sprints, jumps and multi-events, mentoring a pair of NCAA qualifiers.Â
Riggs was a highly successful athlete for the Rams, finishing his career as a three-time conference champion and nine-time All-Mountain West honoree. He qualified for the Midwest regionals four times and was a 2003 USATF Championship qualifier in the 200m.Â
Riggs graduated from Colorado State in 2004 with his bachelor's in speech communications. He also holds the USTFCCCA Strength & Conditioning Certification.
