ATLANTA – Georgia Tech has named Chris Huffins its new assistant coach for men and womens track and field, Georgia Tech director of athletics Dave Braine announced Friday.
Huffins, who won the bronze medal in the decathlon at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, will join the coaching staff as a full-time assistant coach in early October following his return from the games. He will work with the Yellow Jacket competitors in the weight events and pole vault, along with the mens short distance sprinters.
“We are delighted to have Chris join our staff as a shared assistant coach for both the mens and womens programs,” said Georgia Tech head mens track and field coach Grover Hinsdale. “We have been watching him coach for the past three years, and have been impressed with how he deals with young people. He brings a great knowledge of the sport to our program as well.”
Huffins comes to Georgia Tech from Wake Forest, where he spent the last three years as a volunteer assistant coach while training for the Olympic Games. He is an accomplished decathlete who won the U.S. National Championship in that event in both 1998 and 1999, before finishing second at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials.
“The staff and the athletes in our program are excited to have Chris join our staff,” said Tech womens head track and field coach Alan Drosky. “As a coach, he brings a lot of flexibility in that he can work with athletes in a lot of different events. Also, Chris experiences as a world-class athlete, coupled with his outstanding qualities as an individual, will be invaluable to our program.”
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Huffins began his collegiate career at Purdue, but transferred to California-Berkley after one year. He began competing in the decathlon in 1990, after already establishing himself as a sprinter and long jumper. After sitting out a year with an injury, he won the first decathlon he competed in at Arizona State in 1992, and won the 1993 NCAA decathlon title in only his second year of competing in the event. He has since competed in two Olympic Games, finishing 10th in Atlanta, and in the 1998 Goodwill Games, where he finished second. Huffins placed an American-best third at the 1999 World Championships, and won the 1997 decathlon title at the 1997 Decastar Championships in Talance, France.
Huffins recently moved to Atlanta, where he resides with his wife Monique and son Zachary.
