Montana State Northern Lights & Skylights Athletics

Chad Spangler is the head coach of the Men’s and Women’s cross-country teams and an Associate Professor in the College of Health Science.  Dr. Spangler started the cross-country program at Northern in 2015 and has led it since then.  His approach to coaching is educational and his goals are to teach them how to train most effectively, how to race most intelligently, and how to present most positively.  Outside of coaching, he spends his time teaching and spending time with family.

I view cross country as a team sport that requires team goals, roles, and values. Even though it is a coactive team, I believe that the development of cohesion still maximizes productivity. While a team focus is important to me, I also recognize that each runner has a personality and nuances within their anatomy and physiology that must be learned and accommodated in training and coaching methods. My training methods are informed through my experience as runner, a trainer, and student of exercise physiology and health. I approach training from a stress management perspective, meaning too much physical and psychological stress is destructive while the right amount of stress results in constructive adaptation and improves performance. As a coach I strive to provide attentive and individualized programs complemented with psychological skills training. I want Northern runners focused on continuous improvement of both performance and self-knowledge.