ODESSA, Texas — Odessa College has hired a new men's and women's cross country/track and field coach, the school announced on Friday.
Chris Beene will be tasked with reviving the program that was suspended back in 2021.
Beene comes to Odessa with experience at a number of levels. The new coach has previously served as an assistant coach at Abilene Christian University and Texas Tech University. Beene held the head coach title at Wayland Baptist University and South Plains College. While with the latter program, Coach Beene's teams won a record 32 National Team Championships.
Beene pursued other business opportunities between 2017-2018 and stepped away from coaching. He made his return in 2019 as the head cross country coach at Coronado High School, where he coached two state champions. From 2021 to February 2024, Beene has been the head cross country coach and girl's track coach at Anna High School.
During Beene's coaching career, he has collected many accolades. He has been named National Coach of the Year 14 times and National Coach of the meet 25 times. He also has had over 20 athletes run in the Olympics and/or World Championships, over 50 athletes win National Championships and over 150 athletes receive All-American status.
In May 2021, Coach Beene was inducted into the NJCAA Coach's Hall of Fame. He was honored again in January 2024 when he was inducted into the Texas Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame.
"I am very excited to get back into college coaching, especially at Odessa College, which had such a great history with Coach Segrest," Beene said upon accepting the position. "I'm a West Texas guy from Lubbock, Texas who loves the area and the people. I also love the challenge of building a program that is starting up again and doing it with an athletic director and president who want to win. I feel blessed they hired me to do this job! Go Wranglers."
Odessa College Athletic Director Wayne Becker also had some words for the newly hired coach.
"Odessa College is very fortunate to be in the position to hire a coach with the history of success that Coach Beene has experienced," Becker said. "He comes to us from a great track and field program, that had proven success on and off the track. I am excited for the future of the OC cross country and track and field with Coach Beene guiding our program. We have the unique opportunity to pair a Hall of Fame coach with a brand, new facility."