Lawrence Named XC/TF Head Coach & Fitness/Nutrition Advisor

BOSTON, Mass. - Following a national search, the Emmanuel College Athletic Department is pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher Lawrence as the Head Cross Country/Track & Field Coach and Fitness & Nutrition Advisor.  Lawrence becomes just the third head coach in the program's history and will become the program's first full-time male Head Coach.

Along with his Head Coaching responsibilities, Lawrence will work in partnership with Bon Appetit and the company's regional nutrition staff to develop nutritional plans for students that align with their individual training regimen, personal health goals, or sport. He will also create, oversee and organize new fitness programs that will be open to the entire Emmanuel community.

Lawrence joins the Saints after last serving as an Assistant Athletic Director and Head Cross Country Coach at Marion Military Institute in Marion, Alabama. He was the inaugural coach of the Tigers for three years where he started both Cross Country programs. While at the MMI, he was named the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) Men's & Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2017-18 when he led both the Men's & Women's teams to the school's first ACCC/NJCAA Region 22 title. He also coached three NCJAA Academic All-Americans during his stint at Marion Military.

"I would like to thank Director of Athletics & Recreation Brendan McWilliams and everyone in the Emmanuel College family for this amazing opportunity," said Lawrence. "I am very excited and thankful to become the next Head Cross Country/Track & Field Coach at Emmanuel and am so humbled to have the opportunity to serve and lead a great group of student-athletes and continue on what Coach Potter built."

Prior to his time at Marion Military Academy, Lawrence held many positions in the running community, most notably working on Team Kirani out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama where he was an Assistant Coach to two-time Olympic medalist Kirani James. Under Lawrence's coaching guidance, James captured the gold medal in the 400m event in the 2012 London Olympics with a time of 43.94 seconds and followed it up with a silver medal in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic games.

Since 2015, Lawrence has owned and operated LJF Sports Management where he was the Director of Track for Birmingham City Schools. He also serves as a personal Track & Field trainer and coaching educator under this role. He worked as a personal trainer for former NFL cornerback Javier Arenas, helping Arenas improve his 40 yard dash time from 4.79 seconds down to 4.52 seconds, increasing his draft status from a late third rounder to the 50^th overall pick (second round) of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Lawrence enjoyed an extremely successful stint as a high school coach at Holy Spirit High School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama during the 2015-16 academic year. While teaching honors chemistry during the day, he also served as the Football and Track coach and guided his student-athletes to four individual Alabama 2A State Championships in the 100m, 200m, Long Jump and Triple Jump events.

Along his coaching journey, Lawrence has had stops at University of Michigan, Marygrove College and University of Alabama serving in the roles of Sprints Coach (Michigan), Assistant Coach & Recruiting Coordinator (Marygrove) and GA/Volunteer Assistant Coach (Alabama). At Alabama, Lawrence was on staff for back-to-back NCAA National Championships in the 400m event in 2009 and 2010 and also worked as a Volunteer Assistant with the Crimson Tide football program.

"We are excited to welcome Coach Lawrence to our team," said Brendan McWilliams, Emmanuel College Director of Athletics & Recreation. "Chris stood out during a very competitive national search process as someone who is committed to providing a high-quality student-athlete experience to the members of our Cross Country and Track & Field programs. His coaching background, experience and enthusiasm make him a great fit and addition to the Emmanuel community."

A native of San Diego, CA, Lawrence received his Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology and his Master's in Sports Management, both from the University of Alabama. He holds a USATF Level One Certification in Coaching, a USATF Level Two Certification in Sprints, Hurdles, and relays and is also USTFCCCA Certified in Head Coaching.

"Working at Emmanuel is a dream opportunity," said Lawrence. "It's a great academic institution with the best location, and family atmosphere. I can't wait to get started!"