Chris Winter (American football)

Chris Winter
Current position
Title	Head coach
Team	Wartburg
Conference	ARC
Record	33–5 (.868)
Biographical details
Born	New Hampton, IA
Alma mater	Wartburg
Playing career
Football
2001–2004	Wartburg
Baseball
2001–2004	Wartburg
Position(s)	Wide receiver (football); Third baseman (baseball)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
2004–2007	Wartburg (assistant)
2008–2010	Wartburg (S&C)
2011–2012	Wartburg (DC/S&C)
2013–2021	Wartburg (AHC/DC/S&C)
2021–present	Wartburg
Head coaching record
Overall	33–5
Tournaments	6–2 (NCAA D-III playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
	2 A-R-C (2022–2023)
Awards
	2x A-R-C Coach of the Year (2022, 2023); D3football.com National Coach of the Year (2022); AFCA Regional Coach of the Year (2023)

Chris Winter is an American college football coach. He was named the head football coach in 2021 at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, after serving as an assistant since 2004, under former head football coach Rick Willis.^[1] In just his second year at the helm of the Wartburg Knights, he led them to a program record 13 wins and to the first NCAA Division III Semifinal appearance in school history.

Playing career[edit]

He attended Wartburg College, where he played football and baseball, earning all-conference honors in both sports.^[2] He was named to the Wartburg College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.^[3]

Coaching career[edit]

Wartburg[edit]

Winter was named the head football coach at Wartburg on July 1, 2021, becoming the 14th head coach in the programs history.^[4] He took over the program that he was an assistant in for 16 years. In just his second season with the Knights he took the program to new heights when they reached the NCAA semifinals and reached a program mark of 13 wins. The season ended when they lost a thriller to perennial NCAA Division III power Mount Union 34–31.^[5] Following the 2022 season, Chris Winter was named the D3football.com National football coach of the year.^[6] The 2023 season saw Winter lead his team back to the NCAA semifinals where they would drop another thriller to No. 1 North Central (IL) 34–27.^[7]

Personal life[edit]

Winter was born in New Hampton, Iowa. Winter and his wife Tara reside in Waverly, IA and have two children.^[8] His wife Tara is also a graduate of Wartburg College where she is the head cheerleading coach and executive director of admissions.^[9]

Head coaching record[edit]


Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs	AFCA^#	D3^°
Wartburg Knights (American Rivers Conference) (2021–present)
2021	Wartburg	7–3	6–2	2nd
2022	Wartburg	13–1	8–0	1st	L NCAA Division III Semifinal	4	3
2023	Wartburg	13–1	8–0	1st	L NCAA Division III Semifinal	3	3
2024	Wartburg	0–0	0–0
Wartburg:		33–5	22–2
Total:		33–5
National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth

References[edit]

^ "Chris Winter Promoted to Head Football Coach". go-knights.net. 2021-07-01.
^ "Wartburg Football Roster". Wartburg College Athletics. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
^ "Hall of Fame". Wartburg College Athletics. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
^ Nelson, Jim (July 1, 2021). "Wartburg College's Rick Willis stepping into new role at school". The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Cedar Falls, Iowa. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
^ "Mount Union Ends Wartburg's Incredible Season". The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Cedar Falls, Iowa. December 10, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
^ "2022 D3football.com All-America Team". D3football.com. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
^ Nelson, Jim (December 9, 2023). "Wartburg Fights to Finish Stunned Late in National Semifinal Loss to No. 1 North Central". The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Cedar Falls, Iowa. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
^ "Chris Winter Bio". go-knights.net. Wartburg Athletics. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
^ "Tara Winter Bio". wartburg.edu. Wartburg College. Retrieved 10 June 2024.