Shea Davisson has been named head men's and women's swimming and diving coach at Olivet College, according to an announcement by Director of Athletics Dave Sichterman. She will officially begin her duties at Olivet on June 16.
"I am excited to be the next head coach of the Olivet College swimming and diving programs," said Davisson. "I feel there is a great deal of potential for both the men's and women's programs to become a contender in the MIAA (Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association) and to be back on a national scene in the coming years. The quality of the College and reputation of student-athlete success in the class room will assist in recruiting talented swimmers and divers to the program."
Davisson comes to Olivet after serving as an assistant coach at Southwestern (Texas) University for the last three seasons. At Southwestern, she was heavily involved in recruiting from the initial contact of prospective student-athletes to organizing campus visits. Davisson designed and coached workouts for all training groups, and handled meet entries and management, while working closely with the head coach on travel arrangements for away meets. She was also an instructor of Fitness and Recreation Activity classes, and oversaw the lifeguard staff for the aquatic facility.
Davisson helped guide the Pirate men to a second-place finish and women to a fourth-place finish at the 2014 Southern Collegiate Athletic Association (SCAC) Championships, while breaking 15 school records and earning four NCAA "B" cuts. The second-place finish was the highest finish in school history at the SCAC championships. While in Texas, she spent summers serving as the assistant head coach for the Georgetown Summer Swim Association in 2013 and the University of Texas Longhorn Swim Coach in 2012.
Prior to moving to Texas, Davisson completed a master's degree with focuses in sports psychology and motor behavior from the University of Tennessee in May 2011. While in Knoxville, she was the head coach for a summer league swim team for two summers.
A native of West Lafayette, Ind., Davisson earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from the College of Wooster (Ohio) in May 2008. She was a four-year letterwinner on the women's swimming team, specializing in the middle distance, breaststroke and individual medley. After graduating from Wooster, Davisson was an assistant swimming coach at the Moon Valley Aquatic Club in Phoenix, Ariz., for one season.
"I am excited for Shea to join the Olivet family," said Sichterman. "She has great coaching and recruiting experience at the NCAA Division III level, as well as a student-athlete at the DIII level. I am looking forward to her leading the Comet swimming and diving program."
