Washington College Director of Athletics Dr. Bryan Matthews has announced the promotions of Kim Lessard to Assistant Athletic Director and Matt Harris to head men's and women's swim coach. Lessard, long-time head coach of both swim programs, will also serve as Aquatics Director, but will step away from coaching to take on a full-time administrative role. Harris has been on the swim teams' coaching staff for four years and was elevated to associate head coach last year.
Lessard's promotion comes at an opportune time for the College's athletic department as Matthews will be retiring in July with Thad Moore, current Deputy Athletic Director and Head Athletic Trainer, set to serve as Interim Director of Athletics.
"I have really appreciated all my memories and friendships that were made as the Washington College swim coach," Lessard reflected. "WC Swimming has been a part of our family and I will be forever grateful to have had the opportunity to coach so many gifted student-athletes. One of the biggest rewards is having alumni stop in for a visit, especially with their children, or hearing from them in an e-mail or card. Of course, the best reward is to see a big smile after our swimmers touch the wall and see their times!"
"Matt is the perfect coach to take WC swimming to the next level," Lessard added. "I now look forward to my next role at WC in athletic administration while continuing to run Casey Swim Center."
"I am delighted to promote Kim to Assistant Athletic Director," Matthews stated. "After a long and distinguished career as our men's and women's swim coach, Kim's new role will enable her to continue to contribute to the Athletic Department in many positive ways. In addition to ensuring that the Swim Center functions in a safe and effective manner, I know that Kim will play a large role assisting my successor as well as coaches and student-athletes."
Lessard served as women's head coach for 26 seasons and as men's head coach for 25. She finishes her coaching career with an impressive dual-meet won-loss record of 357-209-1 between the men's and women's swim teams at the College, including a perfect 12-0 women's record during the 2001-02 season and a perfect 10-0 men's record this past winter. Her overall record includes a 204-104 record as women's coach and a 153-105-1 mark as men's coach. Her .631 combined winning percentage stands as the ninth highest across all sports in the College's history among coaches with at least 100 decisions.
Under Lessard's direction, Washington College swimmers earned a total of 26 All-America or All-America honorable mention designations and were named Most Outstanding Performer at Centennial Conference Championship meets eight times. She also coached at NCAA Division III Championship meets during 15 of her years coaching at the College and was named the Centennial Conference Men's Swimming Coach of the Year in 2014.
Lessard's swimmers were strong in the classroom; her teams were routinely awarded with Scholar All-America recognition. During Lessard's tenure, the Shoremen and Shorewomen swim teams also became involved in numerous community service projects including: a triathlon for cancer, an adopt-a-family-for Christmas program, the Special Olympics, and a Learn to Swim program for third-graders. Due to their work with Special Olympics, the swim teams were recognized with the inaugural Competitors' Challenge Award at the College's annual Athletics Awards Ceremony in May, given to a team for an outstanding community service project.
A 1982 graduate of Penn State, Lessard also holds a Master's Degree from the College. She was inducted into the College's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006 and served on the NCAA's Swimming and Diving Committee.
"During my four years here, Kim Lessard has been an invaluable mentor and friend as I transitioned and learned how to coach at the college level," Harris noted. "I am excited to continue growing with these exceptional teams and am fortunate to have some of the best athletes a coach could ask for in and out of the pool."
"I am very pleased to promote Matt as the new head men's and women's swim coach," Matthews said. "Matt is Kim's hand-picked successor and I couldn't agree more. His outstanding competitive swimming career, his demonstrated coaching talent, and his great fit for Washington College make him the perfect person to take over the reins. I have no doubt Matt will be very successful."
Harris began at the College as an assistant swim coach in the summer of 2012 and gradually took on increasing responsibility on the staff before being named associate head coach a year ago. He has been instrumental in the programs' recent success, including the men's team's 28-2 dual-meet record over the past three seasons.
Harris was an outstanding collegiate swimmer at Kenyon College, helping the Lords win their 27th, 28th, 29th, and 30th NCAA Division III Team Championships. He won four NCAA Division III individual championships, finishing first in both butterfly events as a junior and senior, and was a part of 11 different national-championship relays. He was voted his team's Most Valuable Swimmer and served as team captain as a senior.
Harris qualified for, and competed in, the 100-meter butterfly at the 2008 USA Olympic Trials and competed in the 100 and 200 butterfly events at the 2009 World Championship Trials.
Following his graduation from Kenyon, Harris worked in sales in Boston for two years while also volunteering with three local college swimming programs and coaching a new club team in the area. He then returned to Maryland and taught at DeMatha Catholic, his high school alma mater, for one year and worked with club and neighborhood swim teams. Harris, who has been swimming since he was 10 years old, earned a B.A. in English from Kenyon in 2009 and his M.A. in English from Washington College in 2015.
"I want to thank past and present swimmers and parents for their encouragement and unconditional acceptance into the Washington College Swimming family," Harris concluded. "It's been an exciting four years and I'm very grateful for the opportunity to continue with these excellent teams and with Washington College."
