A former Pac-10, Big West, and West Region Coach of the Year, associate head coach Chris Russell is now in his eighth season at the University of Washington. Russell plays an integral role in every aspect of the team's success on and off the court. Russell came to Seattle after serving as the head coach for men's tennis at Oregon for nine seasons from 1996-2004.

The Huskies have advanced to the NCAA Championships in every one of Russell's seven seasons on staff, with Sweet 16 appearances in 2005 and 2006. In 2005, Russell's first season in purple and gold, he helped guide the Huskies to one of their best seasons in program history as UW advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 for the fourth time in five years and won a share of its first-ever Pac-10 title.

As head coach at Oregon, Russell built the Ducks into a nationally respected program, leading Oregon to NCAA tournament appearances in 2000 and 2004. Russell was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 2000 after guiding the Ducks to a 12-10 record and an NCAA tourney trip. He also mentored individual All-Americans Guillermo Carter and Sven Swinnen.

Before going to Eugene, Russell was the head coach at his alma mater, UC Santa Barbara. He coached the men's squad from 1988-89 and the women's team from 1991-94, giving him 15 total years of head coaching experience. Russell received Coach of the Year honors in the Big West conference each season he was at UCSB, and earned West Region Coach of the Year accolades from the ITA in 1994. Russell had an overall head coaching record of 78-43 at UCSB, leading the Gaucho men to a 20-8 record in 1988-89 and the women to a four-year record of 58-35.

As a player, Russell was a four-year starter on the Gaucho tennis team from 1981-85. He worked as an undergraduate assistant coach in 1985-86 at UCSB and received his bachelor of arts degree in liberal studies, with a minor in coaching, in 1986. Russell and his wife Allison, a Seattle native, have two children, Kylie (11) and Logan (9).