Chris Higgins was named associate head coach for NDSU soccer on April 17, 2024 after he wrapped up his second season as an assistant coach with the Bison. Higgins joined Mike Regan's coaching staff in May of 2022. A former All-American between the sticks, Higgins works primarily with the goalkeepers.

In his first two seasons with the Bison, Higgins guided the development of Abby Wilkinson into the Summit League Goalkeeper of the Year in 2023, before she became the first Bison soccer player to sign a professional contract. As a junior, Wilkinson earned all-league honors for the first time in her career and also scooped up a pair of Summit League Defensive Player of the Week honors. The Bison defense saw it's save percentage climb over six percent and the goals against average drop over a full goal per game from 2.42 to 1.38. In 2023, Wilkinson continued to improve with a goals against average of 1.06 and a 81.6 save percentage, which helped her receive top Summit League honors between the sticks with first team accolades to go along with Goalkeeper of the Year honors.

Higgins joined the Bison from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, as he helped guide the women’s program to the NCAA Division III Final Four in 2021. While in Dubuque, Higgins served as an assistant for the men’s and women’s programs for two seasons. He also served as the recruiting coordinator for the Duhawks. Higgins helped guide Loras to a double American Rivers Conference Championship, as both the men’s and women’s programs claimed conference titles in 2021. The women’s program reached the Final Four and the men reached the second round in the 2021 NCAA Championships.

With Loras, the Glasgow, Scotland native oversaw the development of two All-ARC Goalkeepers and an All-American as he was a part of the American Rivers Coaching Staff of the Year and NCAA Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year in 2021. His goalkeepers combined for 15 shutouts in 24 games as the women’s program went 21-1-2. Duhawks goalkeepers combined for six ARC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Prior to joining Loras, Higgins coached Xavier (Cedar Rapids) High School Girls Soccer to an Iowa High School State Championship in 2019. Higgins coached Xavier from 2017 through the spring of 2022. He was named the Mississippi Valley Conference Coach of the Year and Private School Coach of the Year following the championship season.

Before leading Xavier, Higgins was a graduate assistant and recruiting coordinator for the women’s soccer team at Mount Mercy University from 2016-2018, including a year as the acting head coach in 2017.

While in Iowa, Higgins also coached with the Olympic Development Program from 2019 until the Spring of 2022, working as the head coach with the girls’ program. Higgins as obtained his UEFA C Coaching License in 2021 and is a UEFA B Coaching License Candidate in 2022.

Prior to his coaching career, Higgins was an NAIA Academic All-American goalkeeper for Ashford University, where he was also the AII First Team and Goalkeeper of the Year. Higgins helped lead Ashford to the NAIA Final Four in 2013. He would go on to lead the Quad City Eagles to the NPSL Midwest Conference Championship in the summer of 2014.

Higgins graduated from Ashford in May of 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and endorsements in coaching and health. Higgins received a master’s degree in Strategic Leadership in June of 2018.