Bio

Lady Raven women's basketball coach Chad Folsom took over the program heading into the 2001-2002 school year and has become the Ravens all-time winningest coach, guiding the program to a 487-263 mark.  Under his leadership, the Lady Ravens have averaged an amazing 21-plus wins for 23 straight years.

Over the past three seasons, the program has been named the Heart of America Athletic Conference Musco Team Sportsmanship Award. They have been the only women's program to earn the honor in the three years that the conference has been selecting the award.

He has been named the Heart of America Athletic Conference (Heart) Coach of the Year twice and led the program to the NAIA Div. II National Championship Tournament in both 2005-'06 and 2007-'08.  His teams have competed in the NAIA Division I National Championship Tournament for four straight years and seven of the last 11 years (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022).  Coach Folsom’s 2015-2016 team finished the year 29-7, 17-5 in the Heart, and played to the NAIA Div. I FAB FOUR for the first time in the school’s history.  Along the way, the team beat the #1, #2, #5, and #7 nationally-ranked teams while finishing the year ranked #8 in NAIA Div. I.

Folsom’s 2005-2006 Lady Ravens’ squad set a school record for wins.  The team finished the year 30-5, won the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship, won the post-season Heart tournament, and reached the Elite Eight at the NAIA Division II National Tournament.

During his tenure, the program has earned 80 All-Heart of America Athletic Conference performers and has produced 14 NAIA All-American selections.

Under Coach Folsom’s leadership, the Lady Ravens have not only become one of the most consistent programs in the Heart on the floor but have become known as one of the top academic programs in the Midwest.  He has coached 61 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes in his 23 years with the Lady Ravens and his programs have consistently been named an NAIA Scholar Program carrying a team cumulative G.P.A. over a 3.20.  After graduating from a small, liberal arts college, Coach Chad Folsom understands the important balance of quality education and athletics.

Coach Folsom returned to his hometown of Atchison after being away for 11 years.  Before coming to Benedictine College, he coached the men’s basketball team at Lamar Community College in Lamar, Colorado for 4 years, three years as the head coach.  He brought the men’s program at Lamar C.C. to their first winning season in 8 years, while at the same time, his teams produced 5 Academic All-Americans.

Coach Folsom graduated from Maur Hill Prep School in Atchison before he attended Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa.  While at Grinnell, Chad earned a total of 12 varsity letters in basketball, indoor, and outdoor track and was named captain in all three sports in his senior year.  Folsom’s 1994 Grinnell Pioneers’ basketball team was the National Scoring Champions averaging 110 points per game.

Coach Chad Folsom graduated from Grinnell College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.  He then attended the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, where he completed his master’s degree in sport psychology.

Chad is married to Amy (McKelvy), a graduate of Benedictine College.  Amy and Chad reside in Atchison with their five children, Haylie, Taylor, Madison, Kaitlyn, and Kyle.