NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -  Captains Coaches Corner, a discussion featuring Christopher Newport fall coaches, continues with Art Link, Head Football Coach. Link has led the Christopher Newport football program for the last three seasons, and is just the second head coach of the Captains in history of the program, which dates back to 2001.

Link was hired on January 30, 2017, succeeding Matt Kelchner, who led the squad from 2001-2016. Link led the Captains to a 7-2 overall record in the 2018 campaign that also saw them finish 6-2 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. Link's squad won its final four games to finish strong, and both of Christopher Newport's defeats came in overtime thrillers. 

Link began his head coaching career by leading the Captains to a 45-17 triumph at Southern Virginia University on September 2, 2017.  Christopher Newport would go on to start the season with a 4-1 mark, matching the best start in program history through five games. 

Prior to taking over the Captains program, Link spent three years as the Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers Coach at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., from 2013-2016. Prior to that, he served as linebackers coach at the University of New Hampshire for two seasons (2012-2013), both years advancing to the NCAA tournament. His 2013 New Hampshire squad advanced farther than any other Wildcats team and reached the NCAA semifinals.

Before his time in the CAA, Link led the program's defensive unit and linebackers at Campbell University when they started the football program in 2008. Link's opportunistic defense led the Camels to their first winning season in 2011 when Campbell ranked thirteenth nationally in turnovers forced. He was also the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Division III Catholic University in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference for the 2006 season.

Link, a native of Gainesville, Fl., received both his bachelors of science as well as masters in Exercise and Sports Science from the University of Florida where he was a member of the Gators 1996 National Championship and SEC Championship team. He played for Head Coach Steve Spurrier at Florida, as well as Defensive Coordinator Bob Stoops. He received the Fifth-Year Senior Award in 1998, and was part of teams that played in the Orange Bowl (1999), Citrus Bowl (1998), and Sugar Bowl (1997).

His coaching career also includes a stint with the Gators as a graduate assistant, working primarily with the linebacking corps from 2004-2006 under head coaches Ron Zook and Urban Meyer. Link and his wife, Megan, have two children, son Ryan and daughter Ava.