James Madison Restructures Staff

Just two years after mobilizing alumni and the swimming community to save their men's program, James Madison has restructured its staff with Matt Barany named the Director of Swimming and Diving. Joining him will be Samantha Smith as co-head coach and Dr. Sergie Beliaev as assistant coach. Warrick Mann remains the Dukes’ diving coach.

“Having combined forces within the staff will allow our workforce to be more efficient and attentive to the needs of all of our student-athletes in both the men’s and women’s programs,” said Barany, a 1995 JMU alum who has guided the men’s swimming program the last three seasons to a 22-10 record. “We will still have two programs, and not much is going to change with the traditions of both programs.”

Smith has most recently served as an assistant coach at CAA rival William and Mary. She has additional coaching experience at the Summerset Olde Creek Recreation center in Fairfax, Va. and with the Hershey Aquatic Club in her hometown.

As a collegiate swimmer, Smith won the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke races in school-record times during the 2001 CAA Championship meet in Fairfax. Her 100-yard time was 1 minute and 3.94 seconds, and her time in the 200-yard race was 2:19.40. She was also the breaststroke member of the champion 200-yard medley relay, which set a school record in 1:46.74, and was a member of the co-champion and school-record 400-yard medley relay (3:52.32).

Smith graduated from JMU in 2001 with a bachelor’s of science degree in media arts and design and completed a bachelor’s of science degree in studio art in 2002. She is one of three members of her family to have spent their collegiate swimming careers with the Dukes. Her older sister, Shawnee, and younger brother, Robert, also swam at JMU.

Beliaev owns an impressive professional and education resume that begins with his earning of a master’s of science degree in coaching science/endurance sports from the State Central Institute of Physical Education in Moscow, Russia in 1977. He remained at the institution to complete his doctoral degree in exercise physiology/human performance science in 1982.

“His background is in exercise physiology and he’s going to help us plan our season in terms of how we are going to develop conditioning-wise,” stated Barany. “Everything we do we gear toward February and the CAA championships; we begin the season with the end in mind. Beliaev’s going to bring his many years of experience and knowledge to our staff and will keep reminding us that what we do today is with the end in mind.”

From 1982 to 1990, he worked with the USSR Ministry of Sports as the official representative in Moscow and St. Petersburg. He was responsible for provision of support to local and international coaches, sports teams and delegations, and served as an adviser to the head coach of the Russian National cycling team. He was the assistant coach for the Tour DuPont Russian National team in 1991-92 and has been a visiting professor at Virginia Commonwealth University from 1990-98. In 1998-99, he was the Director of International Sports Marketing at the VCU Sports Center. Also in 1998, he launched Super Sports Systems, LLC, and the development of coaching TOP software (Training Optimization Methods), an internet-based coaches’ support tools and personal coaching service.

The Dukes are members of the NCAA Division I Colonial Athletic Association. JMU has won nine CAA men’s titles and five CAA women’s crowns.