Coach Lanier on Chris: "Quite simply, he is one of the best in the business. I’ve been around for a little while so I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some very good coaches. Chris is right up there. He checks every box. He’s one of the very best recruiters in the country yet he is every bit as good on the floor, scouting and in his commitment to young people day to day. He is a true professional and deserves to be a head coach someday."
A coaching veteran bringing more than 19 years of experience at five different levels, Chris Kreider returned to Atlanta as an assistant coach at Georgia State in April 2019. Kreider arrives at GSU after a two-year stint at Rice.
In his second season at Georgia State, he guided the Panthers to a 16-6 record and a third-straight appearance in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship Game. Along the way, he led the Panthers to a opening night, quadruple overtime victory over Georgia Tech, marking the program’s first win over an ACC opponent in school history.
In his first season he helped the Panthers to a 19-win year and postseason eligibility for a seventh-straight season. The 2019-20 season included a seven-game winning streak and winning the 2K Empire Classic Riverside Regional. He guided Kane Williams and Justin Roberts to All-Sun Belt Conference recognition and saw both of GSU’s seniors earn their college degrees.
While at Rice, Kreider helped recruit a pair of top-five recruiting classes in Conference USA according to 247 Sports. The 2019 class was tabbed the third-best recruiting class in CUSA, while the 2018 class was picked fourth by the platform. Following his inaugural collegiate season in 2018-19, guard Chris Mullins was named to the CUSA All-Freshman Team by both the league’s head coaches and media.
Additionally, eight Owls were named to the CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll in each of his two seasons on staff. Guard Connor Cashaw capped his junior campaign in 2017-18 earning a spot on the CUSA All-Academic Team.
Prior to his tenure at Rice, Kreider spent two seasons at Virginia Military Institute, serving as the recruiting coordinator and post coach.
Kreider’s career also includes four seasons at George Mason, where he helped the Patriots to a pair of 20-plus win seasons and a postseason appearance in the College Basketball Invitational in 2011-12. The Patriots capped the postseason run in the championship series against Santa Clara. Kreider also helped Mason to the CAA Tournament semifinals his first two seasons before the university transitioned to the Atlantic 10 Conference in 2012-13.
While with the Patriots, Kreider oversaw the signing of a pair of nationally-accredited recruiting classes as the recruiting coordinator. In 2011, the incoming class was ranked the No. 10 mid-major recruiting class by ESPN.com before the Patriots inked one of the top recruiting classes in the A-10 in 2014.
Kreider also held the role of recruiting coordinator during his two-year stay at Georgia Southern from 2009-11. Prior to his stop in Statesboro, Kreider served his first stint in Atlanta at Georgia Tech from 2007-09. While with the Yellow Jackets, he held positions as an administrative assistant and volunteer assistant coach.
From 2006-07, Kreider was an assistant coach at USC Aiken after working three years at St. Francis High School where he held head coaching positions for the men and women’s basketball teams (2003-04 assistant; 2004-05 women’s coach; 2005-06 men’s coach). He got his start in coaching as an assistant coach at the University of Great Falls in 2002-03.
A collegiate letterwinner, Kreider started as small forward at three colleges, playing one year at Mansfield University before transferring to Grove City College (Pa.). In his junior season, Kreider led the Wolverines in scoring (12.3 ppg) and steals (52). He finished his playing and academic career at Lebanon Valley College, earning a bachelor of arts degree in Spanish in 2003.
Kreider is married to the former Heather Akers of Atlanta, Ga. The couple have a six-year-old daughter, Livia.
