The optical absorption of Cr3+-doped fluoride glasses has been investigated. The lowest energy absorption band (4)A(2) -> T-4(2) shows distinct interference dips due to spin-orbit coupling between T-4(2), E-2 and T-2(1) excited states. The dips were analyzed using an analytical method proposed by Bussiere et al. (J. Phys. Chem. A 2003, 107, 1258) based on coupled potential energy surfaces. Then a theoretical crystal-field analysis based on the Racah tensor algebraic method was carried on Cr3+ ions occupying octahedral site symmetry in the fluoride glasses. Satisfactory correlations were obtained between the experimental and calculated energy levels. The fitting of the interference dips also provided a measure of the spin-orbit coupling constant for Cr3+ in fluoride glasses, intermediate between the theoretical value calculated for a fluoride crystal and the value deduced from Racah parameters.