Saint Francis University Director of Athletics Bob Krimmel announced that Rory Coleman will take the reins of The Red Flash's women's swimming program. Coleman, who will also serve as the University's Director of Aquatics, arrives in Loretto after an eight-year stint as a men's and women's assistant coach and assistant aquatics director at the University of Delaware.
"I am extremely pleased to welcome Rory Coleman to the Red Flash Family," said Krimmel. "He possesses a great background to continue the excellence that has become associated with our women's swimming and aquatics programs. His commitment to academic success and embracing the spiritual growth of our students, that is part of our student athlete experience at Saint Francis, makes him the perfect person to lead our program."
"I would like to thank our search committee for their dedication to the selection process as well as our assistant coach, Jackie Michalski for her leadership during the period of transition from the time Pat Gallagher left until Rory's selection. With Rory and Jackie, I feel we have a dynamic coaching team to lead our program into the future."
Coleman inherits a program that has won a record-tying four consecutive Northeast Conference Championships and was recently recognized for earning the nation's third-highest GPA. The Red Flash lost only two seniors to graduation after last season. His first day at SFU is August 1.
"I look forward to the opportunity I have been given at Saint Francis and would like to thank Mr. Krimmel and the search committee for selecting me," Coleman said. "I am very excited to meet the team and to get started on working towards more championships."
While at Delaware, Coleman most recently coached the distance group while also serving as the team's recruiting coordinator. He played a key role in Delaware's four straight (2007-11) third place finishes at the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championships, marking the highest finish ever by the UD men.
Since his arrival at Delaware, the Blue Hens captured seven top-five team finishes at the CAA Championships and won 14 conference individual and relay championships. Under his tutelage the women's team broke all 19 school records and turned in a cumulative 77-30 record. During his time at Delaware, one female claimed a conference championship and another accomplished NCAA "B" times for the second time in school history. On the men's side, Coleman was able to help the team to a 67-30 mark while breaking 17 school records along the way.
During his tenure, the men's program experienced a revival, winning its first conference dual meet since 2000, its first individual conference championship since 2001, its first relay conference championship since 1992, and had its first NCAA "B" cut in school history. The men raked in a total of 12 individual CAA champions, 19 NCAA "B" cuts and the first two Olympic trial qualifiers in school history. Each year he was able to recruit some of the best swimmers in Delaware's swimming history with the roster size increasing for both the men and women since his arrival.
With Coleman's assistance, the Blue Hens swimming and diving teams were also successful in the classroom. During the last 8 years, athletes have been named to the CAA Academic Honor Roll over 150 times.
Before Delaware, Coleman served as the first-ever head coach at Morningside College in Sioux City. Starting from scratch in 2003, he was able to lead the Morningside women's team to an 11th place overall finish at the NAIA national championship meet in 2004 and a 13th place finish in 2005. The men finished in 11th place at the NAIA national championship in 2005. Thirteen student-athletes qualified in 37 events for the national championship meet under Coleman's direction. The College Swimming Coaches of America also recognized several student-athletes with All-America and Honorable Mention All-America honors.
Coleman got his start in collegiate coaching at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa as a graduate assistant. He earned a master's degree in physical education during his stint at Loras.
Coleman attended the University of Findlay (Ohio) where he competed in swimming, club water polo and track & field. He was a NAIA national qualifier before transferring to Keene State College in Keene N.H., where he earned a bachelor's in social science. While at Keene, Coleman earned All-New England honors and set six school records, establishing marks in the 50 backstroke, 100 backstroke, 100 individual medley, 200 freestyle relay, 200 medley relay, and 400 medley relay.
A native of Fostoria, Ohio where he prepped at Fostoria High School, Coleman was a multi-sport athlete as a member of the swimming, track & field and football teams.
Rory and his wife Kara have a one-year-old daughter, Amelia, and look forward to moving to the Loretto metroplex soon with their two dogs.
