Football
Sep 20 (Sat)
8:15 p.m.
- Title:
- Assistant Head Coach
Chris Strausser is in first year as assistant head coach and offensive line coach at Colorado, as he was one of four assistant coaches to join Boise State head coach Dan Hawkins when he accepted the Colorado position in December 2005. He assists Hawkins on administrative issues in addition to his on-field coaching duties.
Strausser, 42, was Boise State’s offensive line coach five seasons, the last three of which he also served as the Broncos assistant head coach. He had four players earn first-team All-Western Athletic Conference honors, including one two-time performer, Daryn Colledge, who did so in both 2004 and 2005. In 2002, both Scott Huff and Rob Vian were named to the all-conference team, and in 2001 Matt Hill earned the honor. He had players earn second-team all-WAC accolades twice, Colledge in 2003 and Klayton Adams in 2004, with Tyrone Tutogi an honorable mention selection in 2003.
Hill was selected in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks, and Vian signed as a free agent with the Detroit Lions the same year.
A veteran assistant coach, Strausser has a varied coaching background, one that saw him make stops at five different schools in California and the Pacific Northwest in the decade prior to joining Hawkins at Boise State.
Strausser started his coaching career in 1989 as the wide receiver and tight ends coach at Menlo College in California. During the 1990 and 1991 seasons, he was a graduate assistant coach at Oregon State University, where he helped coach the running backs the first year and the offensive line his second year with the Beaver program, also while earning his master’s degree.
In 1992, he moved on to Sonoma State, where he continued to work with the offensive tackles and tight ends, in addition to serving as special teams coordinator. It was there where he coached Larry Allen, who would go on to become one of the top offensive linemen in the National Football League and a perennial All-Pro performer.
It what would be the first of two stops at Portland State, Strausser served as offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator for the Vikings during the 1993 and 1994 seasons. PSU advanced to the Division II playoffs in both of those years.
He moved on to San Jose State University for the 1995 and 1996 seasons, serving as the offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator for the Spartans. In 1997, he moved on to Foothill College, where he spent three seasons as the offensive coordinator for one of California’s top junior college programs. While directing the offense at Foothill, the Owls to posted back-to-back 10 win seasons in 1998 and 1999.
He returned to Portland State University for the 2000 season, where he served as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator. His work with the Viking offense played a key role in the team going 8-4 and advancing to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs for the first time in school history. That year, PSU also posted one of the biggest upsets on the college landscape when it defeated Hawaii on the road, 45-20. Following the season, he rejoined the I-A ranks when he moved on to Boise State.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1989 from Chico State University, and received his master’s degree in education from Oregon State in 1991.
James “Chris” Strausser was born December 4, 1963 in Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated from Gunn High School in Palo Alto, Calif., where he lettered in football, baseball, track and wrestling. He is married to the former Cathy Breen, and the couple has two daughters, Maeve (11) and Sarah (10).
TOP PLAYERS COACHED?All-Americans (1): Brian Roche. All-Western Athletic Conference Performers (3): Daryn Colledge, Matt Hill, Scott Huff. NFL Players/Draft Picks (3): Larry Allen, Hill, Roche.
