Chris Merritt
Miami Christopher Columbus High School, Defensive Backs
« Back to USA Football Junior National Team coaching staff
With his overseas experience as the head coach of the European Football League's (EFL) Hamburg (Germany) Blue Devils and rich history with defensive schema, choosing Miami Christopher Columbus High School head football coach Chris Merritt to tutor Team USA's defensive backs was an easy decision.
In addition to his time at Christopher Columbus and Hamburg, Merritt served as the outside linebackers coach at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Ill., secondary coach and special teams coordinator at Thiel College in Greenville, Pa., and interim head coach of the German Football League's (GFL) Stuttgart Scorpions, compiling an overall record of 120-32-2 (.779) as a head coach.
Under Merritt’s guidance, Hamburg won three Euro Bowls from 1996-1998, the German Bowl in 1996 and the Charity Bowl in 1997. Christopher Columbus accumulated six district championships in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008 and three undefeated regular seasons in 2005, 2007 and 2008 during his eight years as the school’s head football coach. Merritt was also named wide receivers coach for the White team in the 2009 Under Armour All-America Game.
Merritt grew up in the Midwest and attended Bloomington (Ind.) High School North before enrolling at Indiana University in 1988.
Merritt, who teaches physical education at Christopher Columbus, and his wife, Kelly, have three children: Megan, Ryan and Shannon. They reside in Miami.