Sonoma State University Athletics

Serving the Seawolves since 2009, Chelsea Hennan has been a key figure in Sonoma State University Athletics. In her current role as the Athletics Health, Wellness, and Student Success Manager since 2020, Hennan also serves as the Athletics HealthCare Administrator, NCAA Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designee and Supervisor of the Athletic Training staff. Additionally, she supervises the Strength and Conditioning program and is the sport supervisor for the Volleyball and Baseball programs. Hennan is deeply involved with student-athlete engagement, serving as the Advisor for the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) which organizes various community service initiatives and annual student events.

A leader in campus-wide initiatives, Hennan actively participates in several SSU committees, including serving on the Seawolf CARE team, the Intercollegiate Athletics Advisory Council (IAAC), Sexual Misconduct/Assault Resource Team (SMART), and Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Committee. Notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she established a campus committee to create engagement and educational opportunities for student-athletes and staff, which resulted in the creation of the Seawolf Performance Learning and Speaker Huddles (SPLASH). These weekly sessions brought in professionals to cover a range of topics from Sleep and Performance to Nutrition, Hydration, and other important departmental discussions such as Mental Health, Pronouns 101 and Difficult Dialogue Across Differences Conversations.

Chelsea’s commitment to student-athlete success is evident through her coordination of Sonoma State's participation in the 2021 APPLE Institute. These national conferences, developed by the University of Virginia’s Gordie Center, focus on substance misuse prevention and health promotion for students, student-athletes and administrators. By organizing this opportunity, Hennan enabled students and staff to engage with experts on critical health topics and bring valuable insights back to the SSU community.

A 2024 graduate of the NCAA Foundations of Fundraising program, Hennan is committed to ongoing professional growth and continues to seek innovative solutions to support the Athletics Department at Sonoma State.

Before transitioning into her current role, Hennan left a lasting legacy as a coach for the women’s water polo team, guiding the program to its highest-ever finish in the WWPA Championship. Hennan served as head coach from 2017 until the program’s discontinuation in 2020, following 11 years of coaching at Sonoma State. Under her leadership, the Seawolves achieved their best-ever conference finish with a second-place spot in the 2017 WWPA Women’s Championship. Hennan was named WWPA Women's Coach of the Year in 2017, marking the first such honor for a Sonoma State coach in the conference’s history.

A former All-American water polo player for SSU, Hennan earned First Team All-American honors in 2005 and is a member of the Sonoma State Athletics Hall of Fame. Her contributions to SSU’s water polo program remain etched in the record books, where she ranks among the top in goals scored, field blocks, and steals.

Hennan earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Kinesiology from Sonoma State University. She is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the NSCA and a Level 1 Sports Performance Coach certified by USA Weightlifting. A long time Sonoma County resident, Hennan resides in Healdsburg with her husband and son.