Chris Winter (American football)

Last updated
Chris Winter
Current position
Title Head coach
Team Wartburg
Conference ARC
Record33–5 (.868)
Biographical details
Alma mater Wartburg
Playing career
Football
2001–2004 Wartburg
Baseball
2001–2004 Wartburg
Position(s) Wide receiver (football)
Third baseman (baseball)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
2004–2010 Wartburg (assistant)
2011–2021Wartburg (DC)
2021–presentWartburg
Head coaching record
Overall33–5
Tournaments6–2 (NCAA D-III playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2 ARC (2022–2023)
Awards
2x ARC Coach of the Year (2022, 2023)
D3football.com National Coach of the Year (2022)
AFCA Regional Coach of the Year (2023)

Chris Winter is an American college football coach. He was named the head football coach in 2021 at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, after serving as an assistant since 2004, under former head football coach Rick Willis. [1] In just his second year at the helm of the Wartburg Knights, he led them to a program record 13 wins and to the first NCAA Division III Semifinal appearance in school history.

Contents

Winter was born in New Hampton, Iowa. He attended Wartburg College, where he played football and baseball, earning all-conference honors in both sports. [2] He was named to the Wartburg College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016. [3] Following the 2022 season, Chris Winter was named the D3football.com National football coach of the year. [4]


Coaching career

Wartburg

Winter was named the head football coach at Wartburg on July 1, 2021, becoming the 14th head coach in the programs history. [5] He took over the program that he was an assistant in for 16 years. In just his second season with the Knights he took the program to new heights when they reached the NCAA semifinals and reached a program mark of 13 wins. The season ended when they lost a thriller to perennial NCAA Division III power Mount Union 34–31. [6] The following year, Winter led his team back to the NCAA semifinals where they would drop another thriller to No. 1 North Central (IL) 34–27. [7]

Head coaching record

YearTeamOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffs AFCA#D3°
Wartburg Knights (American Rivers Conference)(2021–present)
2021 Wartburg 7–36–22nd
2022 Wartburg 13–18–01stL NCAA Division III Semifinal 43
2023 Wartburg 13–18–01stL NCAA Division III Semifinal 33
2024 Wartburg0–00–0
Wartburg:33–522–2
Total:33–5
      National championship        Conference title        Conference division title or championship game berth

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References

  1. "Chris Winter Promoted to Head Football Coach". go-knights.net. 2021-07-01.
  2. "Wartburg Football Roster". Wartburg College Athletics. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  3. "Hall of Fame". Wartburg College Athletics. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  4. "2022 D3football.com All-America Team". D3football.com. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  5. Nelson, Jim (July 1, 2021). "Wartburg College's Rick Willis stepping into new role at school". The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier . Cedar Falls, Iowa . Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  6. "Mount Union Ends Wartburg's Incredible Season". The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Cedar Falls, Iowa. December 10, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  7. Nelson, Jim (December 9, 2023). "Wartburg Fights to Finish Stunned Late in National Semifinal Loss to No. 1 North Central". The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Cedar Falls, Iowa. Retrieved December 15, 2023.

Further reading