Swarthmore College Athletics

Chris McPherson joined Swarthmore in the summer of 2016 as Head Strength Coach/Coordinator of Matchbox Fitness Center Operations. In 2020, he was promoted to Director of Sports Performance and Matchbox Fitness Center Coordinator. In his current role, he is responsible for the development of Swarthmore College's intercollegiate athletic teams through strength training, athletic performance training, and conditioning training as well as equipment purchases for Matchbox Fitness Center. Chris is also a faculty member and teaches two classes per year in the Physical Education department and facilitates a group exercise class for the Swarthmore College campus community.

 
Prior to Swarthmore, McPherson was the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Division-I La Salle University and Head Strength and Conditioning Coach/Fitness Director at Germantown Friends School High School, overseeing development for the school's 18 varsity teams. He also has experience as a professional intern at Division-I St. Joseph’s University and Temple University.
 
McPherson holds certifications as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and as a Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach (SCCC) by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association. Chris also is committed to proper nutrition through his PN Level 1 Nutrition Coaching Certification from Precision Nutrition and is a Certified Sports Nutrition Coach (CSNC) from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).
 
McPherson earned a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology from Temple University and a Master of Exercise Science and Health Promotion from California University of Pennsylvania.
 
He resides in Philadelphia with his wife, Paris, and their sons, Elijah and Isaiah.