Chris Robertson enters his 17th season at the helm of the WPI football program in 2026 as the winningest head coach in the 135-year history of Engineer football. With 71 career victories, Robertson has guided WPI to sustained success on and off the field, including the program's only two postseason victories (2017 and 2019), multiple bowl appearances, and one of the most successful stretches in school history.
Since returning to WPI as head coach in 2010, Robertson has built a championship-caliber culture rooted in accountability, effort, academic excellence, leadership development, and service to the campus and Worcester community. Under his leadership, the Engineers have become a consistent contender in the NEWMAC while earning recognition for both athletic and academic achievement.
Among the highlights of Robertson's tenure are the 2019 squad that finished 10-1, captured a share of the NEWMAC championship, and defeated Western Connecticut in the New England Bowl Series, and the 2017 team that posted a 9-2 record and earned WPI's first postseason victory with a New England Bowl Championship. Those teams remain two of the most successful in program history and helped establish the standard for sustained success within the program.
Throughout his tenure, Robertson's teams have featured nationally ranked defensive units, conference champions, All-Americans, Academic All-Americans, and regional and national award winners. WPI has also consistently ranked among the NEWMAC leaders in Academic All-Conference selections, reflecting the program's commitment to excellence in the classroom as well as on the field.
Before returning to WPI, Robertson served as the first full-time head coach at Salve Regina University, where he engineered a dramatic turnaround by expanding the roster, improving the program's competitiveness, and establishing a strong academic culture.
A defensive coach by trade, Robertson began his coaching career under legendary WPI head coach Ed Zaloom at Siena before returning to Worcester in 1999 as WPI's defensive coordinator and head baseball coach. During his tenure with the baseball program, he guided the Engineers to their first two postseason appearances in more than a century.
A 1996 graduate of the University at Albany, Robertson was a three-year starter, team captain, and two-time Academic All-American. He earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and a master's degree in educational psychology and statistics.
Robertson and his wife, Kristin, reside in Grafton, Massachusetts, with their twins, Jake and Danielle, daughter Molly, black lab mix Lola, and yellow lab Happy.
"The demands and rigors of this university are not for everyone. Every day is challenging here—in the classroom, on the field, and in the community. The expectations are higher than ever for our players and our coaches, and we've risen to that challenge. The success we see in our players extends far beyond football: in academics, in leadership, and in the lives they go on to lead."
Recruiting Areas: Massachusetts, National Linebackers
