Staff Directory
Cris James
- Title:
- Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
- Email:
- Phone:
- (309) 275-5499
Cris James joined the NC State men's tennis coaching staff in July of 2017 as an assistant coach. James also holds the role of recruiting coordinator for the team. In 2024, he was named the Carolina Regional ITA Assistant Coach of the Year.
Formerly the head men’s tennis coach at Illinois State from 2007-13, James came to Raleigh after spending four seasons as a second assistant coach at Notre Dame.
James was a crucial leader in the most successful 2025 season that led to the program's third NCAA Super Regional appearance, two All-Americans, a 22 win season, new program record for most conference wins (12), and the program's second-ever ITA National Team Indoors appearance. In the fall he helped coach Martin Borisiouk, Braden Shick, and Luca Staeheli at the 2024 NCAA Singles Championship, marking the most players in a season to represent the Pack at that tournament.
In 2021-22, he helped six members of the squad to double-digit-win seasons and assisted the squad to a 20-win season. The Pack made a run to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament after hosting a regional site for the first time under head coach Kyle Spencer.
During the 2020-21 season, James was able to assisted the Pack to its third consecutive NCAA berth for the men's tennis team. NC State finished out the regular season in the ITA Rankings at No. 25 with the assistance of James.
James helped head coach Kyle Spencer lead the team to one of its most successful seasons in program history with a historic 2019 season. Since arriving in Raleigh prior to the start of the 2017-18 athletic year, James has helped coach a squad that finished in the top 30 at the conclusion of the 2018 dual season and has been ranked in the top 25 for eight weeks during the 2019 season. NC State has also had doubles teams qualify for the main draw of the ITA All-American Championships and the ITA National Fall Championships during each of the past two seasons, and Galarneau has earned a singles berth to the NCAA Championships for two seasons in a row under the leadership of James and Spencer.
In 2019, he was honored as ITA Carolina Region Assistant Coach of the Year for helping develop a Wolfpack team that reached the upper echelon of college tennis.
James helped lead the Fighting Irish to three NCAA Tournament appearances during his time in South Bend, advancing as far as the Sweet 16 in 2014. During that first season, James and the Irish were ranked as high as No. 6 nationally and ended the season ranked No. 13. The 2014-15 season featured another NCAA Tournament appearance and a final team ranking of 37th. James acted as the primary on-court coach for the doubles team of Pecor and Lawson, which reached the quarterfinals of both the ITA All-American and ITA National Indoor tournaments as well as the round of 16 at the NCAA Individual Championships.
During the 2015-16 season, Notre Dame defeated then national No. 1 UNC-Chapel Hill in ACC play and again advanced to the NCAA Tournament as a team.
Notre Dame’s 2016-17 season concluded with senior singles player Josh Hagar advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Hagar also earned First Team All-ACC honors and teammates Brandon Kempin and Alex Lebedev were named to the All-ACC Academic Team.
Under James’ leadership as a head coach, Illinois State appeared in the national rankings (2010) for the first time since 2001. The year culminated in James being named the Missouri Valley Coach of the Year after leading his squad to the conference regular-season championship. The team then finished second in the conference regular-season standings the following season.
While at Illinois State, James recruited and coached nine players to the MVC All-Conference teams as well as both the 2010 MVC Freshman of the Year and the 2010 MVC Co-Player of the Year. He had six different nationally-ranked doubles teams from 2007-13 and one nationally-ranked singles player.
Prior to his head coaching position at Illinois State, James was an assistant coach at Purdue from 2002-07. While with the Boilermakers in a coaching capacity, he was involved with all aspects of player development, including but not limited to planning and coordinating team practices, physical fitness training, and individual player instruction.
During his playing days at Purdue, James three times earned All-Big Ten, Academic All-Big Ten, and team MVP honors. A team captain, James reached a high of No. 26 nationally in singles and No. 7 in doubles. He won three professional futures doubles tournaments and earned professional rankings in both singles and doubles.
He owns two degrees from Purdue, a Bachelor of Science in political science (1999) and a Master of Science in sports management (2007).
James and his wife Emily have a son, Jack, and a daughter, Ellie.
Formerly the head men’s tennis coach at Illinois State from 2007-13, James came to Raleigh after spending four seasons as a second assistant coach at Notre Dame.
James was a crucial leader in the most successful 2025 season that led to the program's third NCAA Super Regional appearance, two All-Americans, a 22 win season, new program record for most conference wins (12), and the program's second-ever ITA National Team Indoors appearance. In the fall he helped coach Martin Borisiouk, Braden Shick, and Luca Staeheli at the 2024 NCAA Singles Championship, marking the most players in a season to represent the Pack at that tournament.
In 2021-22, he helped six members of the squad to double-digit-win seasons and assisted the squad to a 20-win season. The Pack made a run to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament after hosting a regional site for the first time under head coach Kyle Spencer.
During the 2020-21 season, James was able to assisted the Pack to its third consecutive NCAA berth for the men's tennis team. NC State finished out the regular season in the ITA Rankings at No. 25 with the assistance of James.
James helped head coach Kyle Spencer lead the team to one of its most successful seasons in program history with a historic 2019 season. Since arriving in Raleigh prior to the start of the 2017-18 athletic year, James has helped coach a squad that finished in the top 30 at the conclusion of the 2018 dual season and has been ranked in the top 25 for eight weeks during the 2019 season. NC State has also had doubles teams qualify for the main draw of the ITA All-American Championships and the ITA National Fall Championships during each of the past two seasons, and Galarneau has earned a singles berth to the NCAA Championships for two seasons in a row under the leadership of James and Spencer.
In 2019, he was honored as ITA Carolina Region Assistant Coach of the Year for helping develop a Wolfpack team that reached the upper echelon of college tennis.
James helped lead the Fighting Irish to three NCAA Tournament appearances during his time in South Bend, advancing as far as the Sweet 16 in 2014. During that first season, James and the Irish were ranked as high as No. 6 nationally and ended the season ranked No. 13. The 2014-15 season featured another NCAA Tournament appearance and a final team ranking of 37th. James acted as the primary on-court coach for the doubles team of Pecor and Lawson, which reached the quarterfinals of both the ITA All-American and ITA National Indoor tournaments as well as the round of 16 at the NCAA Individual Championships.
During the 2015-16 season, Notre Dame defeated then national No. 1 UNC-Chapel Hill in ACC play and again advanced to the NCAA Tournament as a team.
Notre Dame’s 2016-17 season concluded with senior singles player Josh Hagar advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Hagar also earned First Team All-ACC honors and teammates Brandon Kempin and Alex Lebedev were named to the All-ACC Academic Team.
Under James’ leadership as a head coach, Illinois State appeared in the national rankings (2010) for the first time since 2001. The year culminated in James being named the Missouri Valley Coach of the Year after leading his squad to the conference regular-season championship. The team then finished second in the conference regular-season standings the following season.
While at Illinois State, James recruited and coached nine players to the MVC All-Conference teams as well as both the 2010 MVC Freshman of the Year and the 2010 MVC Co-Player of the Year. He had six different nationally-ranked doubles teams from 2007-13 and one nationally-ranked singles player.
Prior to his head coaching position at Illinois State, James was an assistant coach at Purdue from 2002-07. While with the Boilermakers in a coaching capacity, he was involved with all aspects of player development, including but not limited to planning and coordinating team practices, physical fitness training, and individual player instruction.
During his playing days at Purdue, James three times earned All-Big Ten, Academic All-Big Ten, and team MVP honors. A team captain, James reached a high of No. 26 nationally in singles and No. 7 in doubles. He won three professional futures doubles tournaments and earned professional rankings in both singles and doubles.
He owns two degrees from Purdue, a Bachelor of Science in political science (1999) and a Master of Science in sports management (2007).
James and his wife Emily have a son, Jack, and a daughter, Ellie.
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