In his first 10 seasons as Muhlenberg College’s head lacrosse coach, Chris Bissinger has turned a fledgling program into one that is a perennial contender for a playoff berth in the challenging Centennial Conference.
Off the field, Bissinger has developed a culture of community service in the Mule program and organized a series of international trips. He has also prepared others for coaching careers, as several of his players and assistant coaches have gone on to become assistant and head coaches at the high school and collegiate levels.
In 2011, a record four Mules earned all-conference recognition after the team posted two wins against nationally ranked teams and defeated two teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament. They beat traditional power Gettysburg for the first time in school history, giving the program wins over every team in one of the most competitive conferences in Division III.
In the two prior years, the Mules tied for the last playoff spot in the CC, missing out on playoff appearances because of tiebreakers both years. In 2010, Muhlenberg posted its first win ever against a nationally ranked team, beating eventual CC champion Haverford, and also defeated Washington College for the first time.
The Mules earned their first playoff berth ever in 2008, coming back from an 0-3 start to win their last five Centennial Conference games. Muhlenberg had its first two All-Americans and its first two first-team All-CC selections, set school records with 10 wins and eight consecutive wins and received votes in the national poll for the first time.
Bissinger began his coaching career at his alma mater, Hampden-Sydney College, in the summer of 1995. He spent seven years working under head coach Ray Rostan after playing for him during his collegiate career. In that time, Hampden-Sydney played in four NCAA tournaments and averaged 10 victories per year.
A native of Maplewood, N.J., Bissinger graduated from Columbia High School. He and his wife, the former Ms. Kerry Demeritt, reside in Allentown, blocks from campus, with their 5-year-old daughter, Emma Marie, and their 3-year-old son, Connor.
