University of Scranton director of athletics Dave Martin introduced Mark Yankovich as the new head men's and women's swimming & diving coach and aquatics director. With the hiring, the teams aims to move on following their February suspensions amid allegations of hazing, sexual harassment and sexual misconduct.
The teams were reinstated May 3rd.
Yankovich comes to the University with extensive experience at both the NCAA Division I and Division III levels. He most recently coached at LaSalle University and has also worked at Lafayette College and Washington College over the past nine years after completing his collegiate career at McDaniel College.
"My family and I would like to thank The University of Scranton, especially Dave Martin and the athletic department, for granting us the opportunity to be a part of the strong swimming and diving program," Yankovich said. "A successful team can only grow from the great foundation laid for it by the former swimmers and alumni community. I am proud to call myself a Royal and I cannot wait to learn, teach and grow with our great student-athletes at The University of Scranton."
With four years of experience coaching at the Division I level and two years at the Division III level, along with having been an NCAA Division III athlete, Yankovich brings more than a decade of NCAA knowledge to Scranton. He also has experience coaching at the club level and has worked swim camps at the Division I and III levels.
"We're excited to bring Mark on board here at the University," Martin said. "His experience at the Division I and Division III levels will help our teams be successful both in and out of the pool. We're very fortunate to have him join us as our men's and women's swimming & diving coach and aquatics director. We look forward to him leading our teams and our aquatics facility to new heights."
Yankovich spent the past year as an assistant coach at LaSalle University, an NCAA Division I institution in Philadelphia. While there, he recruited local, national and foreign student-athletes, coached six swimmers to U.S. nationals as well as four different swimmers to the U.S. Olympic Trials, the Swedish Nationals, Polish Nationals and Canadian Olympic Trials. He was also responsible for organizing and budgeting travel for meets, a training trip and the team banquet.
Prior to joining LaSalle, Yankovich was a graduate assistant coach at Washington College, an NCAA Division III institution in Chestertown, Md. from September 2010 to August 2012. During his time at Washington, he recruited swimmers who broke every school record, and coached multiple Centennial Conference champions and one swimmer who qualified for the NCAA Division III championships. He also started a weight lifting program, supervised the school's lifeguards and worked within the constraints of the program's budget to purchase new record boards, a pace clock and training equipment.
Yankovich also spent three seasons from September 2007 to August 2010 as an assistant coach at Lafayette College, an NCAA Division I institution in Bethlehem, Pa. While at Lafayette, his coaching duties focused on the sprint and middle distance events. He also helped the head coach set up and plan recruiting visits and started the Leopards Swim Clinic for local youth swimmers.
Between his time at Lafayette and Washington College, Yankovich was the head group coach at the Greater Philadelphia Aquatic Club in Sewell, N.J. He was the head coach of more than 100 athletes from ages 8 to 25, and supervised six assistant coaches and four athlete assistants. He also organized team bonding activities that included water park trips and team breakfasts.
Yankovich's club coaching experience also includes serving as the head coach of the Lehigh Valley Aquatics in Bethlehem from May 2008 to August 2009. During that time, he led pool and dry land workouts, supervised age group coaches and worked with the parent board to set up a long-term plan for the newly formed club.
Yankovich also worked as a lead coach at the Washington Swim Camp in 2010 and the Navy Swim Camp in 2009, and was a counselor at the Michigan Swim Camp in 2008. He is a certified instructor in CPR, AED and lifesaving from the American Red Cross, and also has certifications from the American Swim Coach Association and as a First Tee Coach from the Philadelphia chapter.
A 2007 graduate of McDaniel College, Yankovich has his bachelor's degree in exercise science. He has a master's degree in psychology from Washington College, which he completed in 2012.
