Chris Hansen retired from coaching at CSUB in Summer of 2025 after 17 seasons with the Roadrunners. He was named the Director of Swimming at CSUB in June of 2011 after three successful seasons as head coach of the CSUB men’s swimming program. Hansen oversaw both the men’s and women’s swimming teams for the Roadrunners.
A veteran of coaching at the NCAA Division I level, Hansen has produced Olympians, USA National Team members, Olympic Trials qualifiers, World Championships qualifiers, USA Swimming Association national qualifiers, and NCAA All-Americans.
Hansen's major accomplishments during his tenure in Bakersfield:
- CSUB women's records broken: 18 of 21
- CSUB men's records broken: 21 of 21
- 2011 MPSF Coach of the Year
- 2011 MPSF Team Champions (the first conference championship for CSUB Athletics since transitioning to NCAA Division I)
- 2014 NCAA All-American Mitchell Huxhold (1650 Free)
- Three individual NCAA qualifications: Mitchell Huxhold (2014, 2015) and Autumn D'Arcy (2019)
- Three Conference Swimmer of the Year honors: Jake Priest (2011), Mitchell Huxhold (2014), Autumn D'Arcy (2020).
- 31 individual Conference Champions
- 205 individual Academic All-Conference honors
- 10 consecutive seasons (2016-2025) of either men's team or women's team leading CSUB Athletics in community service hours
Hansen created international recruiting pipelines through Canada, Europe, and Oceania, in particular developing a strong relationship with some of the top Croatia swimmers. Most notably, Hansen brought in Croatians Kris Rogic and Vili Sivec, both who were multi-time National Champions in their home country. Sivec also became the Croatian National Record holder in the 200-meter Butterfly under Hansen, while qualifying for the World Championships.
In 2010-11, Hansen’s men won the MPSF Championships, the first for CSUB since the school made the transition to NCAA Division I. His first season (2008-09) at CSUB saw the program in its final year as a member of Conference USA. In total, Hansen has guided the ‘Runners through four conferences with stints in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, Conference USA, Western Athletic Conference, and The Big West.
Hansen coached one of CSUB’s most successful student-athletes in Mitchell Huxhold, who graduated after the 2014-15 season. Huxhold was the school’s first NCAA Division I Championships qualifier, making trips in each of his final two seasons, and the first ‘Runner to earn DI All-American (1650 free, 2014). Hansen’s coaching led Huxhold to leave the program with four school records and the first-ever WAC Joe Kearney Award (Male Athlete of the Year) for CSUB’s athletic department.
The 2012-13 season featured the ‘Runners receiving plenty of national attention. Four current and one former ‘Runner swimmers qualified for the 2013 US Open with Huxhold earning a slot in the 2013 National Open Select Camp. Bakersfield’s men’s team was ranked 10th in the final CollegeSwimming.com Mid-Major poll. The website also named the 2012 CSUB men’s and women’s recruiting class among the best in the country. Swimswam.com, when talking about the CSUB women’s recruiting class, said “Coach Hansen resurrects CSUB women’s swimming in just one year.”
Hansen coached Dylana Milobar to the 2016 Canadian Olympic Trials. Four years earlier, Hansen coached Rachel McCall, Chris Pipes and Peter Bardessono at the United States and Canadian Olympic Trails.
Prior to coming to Bakersfield, Hansen was the head assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s programs at North Carolina from 2003-06, where his main responsibilities were recruiting, daily training programs and various administrative duties.
Before his stint with the Tar Heels, Hansen was the head men’s and women’s assistant coach at UNLV, where he helped develop 10 NCAA qualifiers and eight All-Americans.
Hansen’s first collegiate coaching job was at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., where he served as the head assistant coach to both the men’s and women’s programs. In 1994, he was named the Colonial Athletic Association Women’s Swim Team Coach of the Year.
After brief stints at UNC and Villanova, Hansen was named the men’s and women’s head coach at Virginia Tech. He compiled a 36-16 record in two seasons and, in 1997-98, recorded the first single season double-digit win totals in the history of the programs (10-3 for the men and 12-1 for the women). Hansen earned his second conference coach of the year award following that standout season, this time by the Atlantic 10.
Hansen earned his bachelor of arts degree in health and physical education from Rowan University in New Jersey and completed his master of arts in exercise and sport science from East Carolina.
