Following a five-year tenure that saw tremendous growth and success, Rutgers University head swimming and diving coach, Phil Spiniello, has decided to step down from the helm of the program.
"This was a difficult decision for my wife and I. We have really enjoyed our time in Piscataway and being involved in the Rutgers community. I would like to sincerely thank everybody in the Rutgers Athletic Department for their help and support over the past five years,” said Spiniello.
“I truly appreciate the hard work and commitment of all the student-athletes who have competed for this program during my time. I am proud of the culture we developed, the goals we reached and the program success we were able to accomplish in and out of the pool. I look forward to watching the team continue to grow in the Big Ten."
Spiniello arrived “On the Banks” in 2010 and made an immediate impact on the program. In just his second season at the helm, RU recorded a 9-2 overall mark, which matched the most victories for the program since 2001, along with a perfect 4-0 mark in the BIG EAST.
Overall, a total of 13 Rutgers school records have been established under Spiniello’s guidance, multiple of which have been re-set year to year. Spiniello has also sent five different student-athletes to the NCAA Championships, including an Honorable Mention All-American in former Scarlet Knight Nicole Scott.
"This is a loss for our program,” said Athletic Director Julie Hermann. “Coach Spiniello was a tremendous asset for our swim and dive team and our department. We are excited about the Big Ten foundation he built for us and will begin a national search immediately for a new coach."
This past year, Spiniello guided Rutgers through its inaugural season in the Big Ten, breaking five school records along the way. Four of the program records broken were established at the Big Ten Championships. At the championships, the relay quartet of Greta Leberfinger and juniors Joanna Wu, Morgan Pfaff and Sarah Coyne set new RU standards in the 200 and 400 medley relays.
Individually, Leberfinger broke the school record in the 200 breaststroke en route to All-Big Ten Second Team honors. Freshman Addison Walkowiak contributed with a new program-best championship score in the 1-meter dive.
At the conclusion of the year, the program sent both a swimmer and a diver to the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive year during Spiniello’s tenure. Graduating senior Greta Leberfinger represented Rutgers in the 100 and 200 breaststroke event, while freshman diver Addison Walkowiak participated in the 1-meter dive and platform dive event.
A year prior, Spiniello sent then-sophomore swimmer Joanna Wu and former Scarlet Knight diver Nicole Scott to the 2014 NCAA Championship. Scott finished 16th overall in the platform event to earn Honorable Mention All-America honors. In doing so, she became the first Scarlet Knight to earn All-America status since 2008. It marked the second consecutive year Scott made it to the national stage.
Wu was selected by the NCAA to compete in both the 100 and 200 backstroke events, making her the first swimmer under Spiniello and marked the first time since 2008 that two Scarlet Knights advanced to the tournament.
Spiniello’s best campaign came in 2014, when Rutgers grabbed a third-place finish at the inaugural AAC Championships, marking RU's best finish at a conference meet since the 2006-07 campaign when the team finished second at the BIG EAST Conference Championships. Wu captured the 100 and 200 backstroke AAC titles, becoming Rutgers first conference champion since the 2008-09 season. RU broke a total of nine school records between the regular season and postseason, including seven total at the AAC's. Upon conclusion of the season, Spiniello was named the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.
Outside of the pool, the Scarlet Knights have seen numerous accomplishments in the classroom. Following just his third season as head coach, the Scarlet Knights were named an NCAA All-Academic Team, ranking eighth of all Division I women's teams. The team has been named a CSCAA Scholar All-America Team for the past three consecutive seasons.
Spiniello and his wife, Trina, will be making the move from Piscataway, N.J. to the state of North Carolina to start their next chapter.
