William & Mary Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Alex Heacock '09 announced Thursday the resignation of head men's cross country coach Chris Solinsky, effective immediately.  Solinsky is leaving the Tribe to join the staff at the University of Florida as the assistant coach in charge of distance and cross country for both men and women.  The Gators have won the last two NCAA men's outdoor track and field championships (four of six since 2012), while also winning indoor championships for the men in 2011 and 2012, and runner-up honors in 2013, 2015, and 2017.

"I want to thank Chris for all of the hard work he's done for us," said Heacock, "and congratulate him and his family on this great opportunity.  He has left the Tribe cross country and distance men in a great position to continue improving over the coming years, and we look forward to going up against Chris and his athletes at NCAAs in the years to come."

Solinsky just finished his third year at W&M, and the first as the head men's cross country coach.  He was named the CAA Coach of the Year last fall after leading the Tribe to its 17th-straight conference title and a 52-18 (.743) overall record.  Also an assistant coach for the W&M track and field team, Solinsky's runners swept the titles in the 1,500m, 5,000m, 10,000m, and 3,000m steeplechase at the CAA Championships this spring, and had 21 of the 30 scoring spots from the 800m on up including a sweep of all six spots in the 5,000m.  Two runners, David Barney '17 and rising junior Ryan McGorty (Fairfax, Va.), qualified for the first round of the NCAA Championships in the 1,500m, with Barney advancing to the national quarterfinals for W&M's first advancer since 1995.

Solinsky came to W&M after seven years as a professional athlete in the highest ranks, and with three years of Division I coaching experience.  He served as a volunteer coach at the University of Portland from 2012-14, helping the Pilots men's team to a 12th place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2012 and improving to seventh in 2013.  He also spent one year as a student assistant while finishing his degree at Wisconsin.

Solinsky's professional running career was the envy of most, including eight years sponsored by Nike.  He was a member of Team USA at the 2009 World Outdoor Championships, finishing 12th in the 5,000m, and was runner-up in the event at the 2009 U.S. Championships.  In 2010, Solinsky ran 26:59.60 in the 10,000m, breaking the American record by more than 14 seconds and becoming the first man not born in Africa to ever break 27 minutes in the event.  He has also broken major barriers in the 5,000m (12:55.53) and the mile (3:54.1), and ranks third all-time in U.S. history in both the 5,000m and 10,000m.

"I'm incredibly grateful for Stephen Walsh, the director who brought me (to William & Mary) three years ago, and now Coach Alex Heacock for bumping me up to head men's cross country coach," Solinsky said. "It's been an amazing three years. I'm really sad to leave all the guys. They accepted the challenges I gave them and performed really well consistently. I'll always be a fan of the William & Mary Tribe."

Solinsky ran for the Wisconsin Badgers as an undergraduate, helping the team win the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 2005 and the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2007.  He was a 14-time All-American and a five-time NCAA Champion, winning each of his last three years indoors (2005 and 2006 3,000m; 2007 5,000m) and his last two outdoors (2006 and 2007 5,000m).  Solinsky won four individual Big Ten titles, and helped Wisconsin sweep the Big Ten team championships in every season all four years.  He graduated from Wisconsin in 2007, with a degree in history.  Solinsky and his wife, former Badgers pole vaulter Amy Dahlin, have one daughter, Ayla.