Chris Gould was raised on the family farm in rural Maple Park, Illinois. He attended Kaneland schools, graduating in 1987. Chris then attended and graduated from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign in December of 1991. While at the University of Illinois, Chris participated in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps, and was commissioned an ensign in the US Navy upon graduation.Soon after graduation and commissioning, Chris married his high school sweetheart Dana Brubaker.