Colgate University named Chelsea France head coach for men's and women's cross country and track & field in December 2022.
France brings a plethora of Division I coaching experience and proven success in training student-athletes who compete on the national stage in competitions and in the classroom. During her coaching career, France has developed two NCAA Division I runner-up finishers, three NCAA Division I All-Americans, nine NCAA championship qualifiers, 11 USTFCCCA Academic All-Americans, and 10 All-Region honorees.
France most recently served three years as an assistant coach for distance and cross country at the University of Maryland, where multiple student-athletes broke individual records and qualified for national competitions. In 2021, she recruited and signed the top-ranked mid-distance and distance class in the Terrapins' program history. First-year Katie Altieri broke individual records and qualified for the USATF championships.
In the classroom, Maryland's track and field student-athletes consistently ranked among the top of their peers. During France's tenure, men's track and women's cross country earned the institution's award for the highest team grade point average multiple times.
During the 2019 outdoor season, France helped a program-best 18 student-athletes punch their ticket to the NCAAs. Both the men's and women's outdoor track and field teams broke several records throughout the season. During her first cross-country season, France improved the team's conference standings while coaching several student-athletes to All-Region and All-Academic honors. Maryland's cross country and track and field teams garnered USTFCCCA All-Academic Team laurels in each of her four seasons with the program.
Before her coaching role at Maryland, France helped lead the University of Pennsylvania cross country and track and field teams to some of their best years in program history as an assistant coach from 2017-19. While at Penn, she helped guide the program to four Ivy League team championships and 14 individual event championships.
Additionally, France aided in the development of 32 All-League honorees. She coached Nia Akins, one of the most decorated athletes in Penn program history, who earned All-American honors as a two-time runner-up finisher in the 800m.
Before her role at Penn, France coached at George Washington University (2014-17), where she mentored and developed distance student-athletes under a newly established track program. George Washington's program had its first men's and women's NCAA Division I Mid-Atlantic Regional ranking in 2016. France oversaw 13 All-Atlantic 10 Conference honorees during her tenure between cross country, indoor, and outdoor track.
France received her Bachelor's Degree in Sociology from the University of Virginia in 2012, where she was a member of the track and field and cross country team. She went on to earn a Master of Science in Sport and Entertainment Management from the University of South Carolina in 2014.
