Chris Beene enters his sixth year as head cross country/track and field coach at South Plains College.

The cross country and track teams continue to flourish under Beene as his squads won five NJCAA titles in the 2008-2009 seasons, beginning with the men's half-marathon in November, his track teams then swept the men's and women's indoor and outdoor titles in March and May.  For his teams efforts, Beene was named the 2009 Outdoor track and field head coach of the year.

In 2008, Beene was named NJCAA Division I Coach of the Year. He was also named Men's Coach of the Meet at both the 2007 and 2008 NJCAA National Outdoor Track and Field Championships after his SPC men's team won national titles.

Beene came to SPC from Wayland Baptist University in Plainview. He was named Women's NAIA Region 5 and 6 Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2004 and Men's Sooner Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2004.

He came to Wayland from Texas Tech, where he spent four seasons as assistant coach. During his time at Tech, he was in charge of coaching the multi-events, pole vault and javelin.

Beene also had previous assistant coaching experience at Abilene Christian and Texas A&M - Kingsville. Two of Beene's decathletes won NCAA Division II national titles during his time at ACU.

Beene has coached two athletes, Stephen Moore and Trafton Rodgers, who both went on to win USATF Men's Heptathlon Championships. Both competed in the USA Olympic Trials with Rodgers in 2000 and Moore in 2000 and 2004. Moore also won a gold medal in the decathlon at the Pan American Games. Moore won the USA Indoor Championship and placed fourth at the World Indoor Championships in Barcelona, Spain.

In all, Beene has coached 47 individual national champions, five regional championship teams, one NAIA conference championship team and five NJCAA national championship teams. He has also coached over 140 All-Americans. Two athletes that Beene coached, Sally Kipyego in the 1500 meter run and 5000 meter run, and Daryl Burgess in the 110 meter hurdles, currently hold NJCAA national records.

A former All-American decathlete, Beene received both his bachelor's and master's degrees in kinesiology from Angelo State.

Beene and his wife Corye have one daughter, Faith, as well as a son, Sage.