PHILADELPHIA – Jamie Platt has been named the head coach of the La Salle men’s and women’s swimming & diving program, Director of Athletics Dr. Tom Brennan announced today. Platt has been with the Explorers for 13 seasons, serving as assistant coach for 10 years before earning the promotion to associate head coach in August 2012.
“Jamie has a long association with La Salle swimming as a student-athlete and assistant coach and truly understands the Lasallian values and culture associated with our University,” Brennan said. “He is well-liked by both student-athletes and alumni and is well-respected in the swimming community. We are delighted to have Jamie as our next head coach.”
The Emmaus, Pa. native has been involved in all facets of the La Salle program throughout the past 13 years, including a concentration on the distance and stroke swimmers and directing the recruiting. He has also been responsible for engaging the swimming and diving alumni through events and fundraising. He has also served as the team’s liaison to the sports information and academic support offices.
“I am extremely thankful, honored and excited to lead our swimming and diving program,” Platt said. “The program is a proven pathway towards success for so many student-athletes. Simply put – La Salle University cares about its students and student-athletes and I am humbled to have the opportunity to contribute to the University’s success. I specifically thank Dr. Brennan, John Lyons and our alumni for this opportunity and for their support in my new role as head coach.”
Platt looks to continue his proven history of success on the Explorer pool deck. Since Platt’s arrival, the Explorers have set 63 school records, won 19 Atlantic 10 individual titles and set three A-10 conference records. He has mentored two A-10 Rookies of the Year and a US Olympic Trials qualifier.
Platt’s distance swimmers have captured five A-10 titles in the 1,650 freestyle event in the last six years. In 2014, Mattias Glenesk broke a 31-year-old A-10 record in his gold medal swim. Also under Platt’s tutelage, La Salle was represented at the 2012 US Olympic Swimming Team Trials in Omaha, Neb., with meet qualifier Blase Szyszko ’13.
He has experience coaching swimmers from the developmental to Olympic levels. He came to La Salle in 2002 from Emmaus, Pa., where he was the Head Age Group Coach and Aquatic Director at the Emmaus Aquatic Club (EMAC). Platt is also a former member of La Salle’s swim team.
Platt is currently the General Chair of the Middle Atlantic Swimming LSC Board of Directors, the fifth largest LSC in the nation. He is also a member of both the American Swimming Coaches Association and the College Swimming Coaches Association of America. Platt was also the NCAA Division I Women’s and Men’s Swimming and Diving Championship’s Meet Coordinator for nearly 10 years, overseeing the national championships operations.
He currently resides in Philadelphia, Pa.
Swimming news courtesy of La Salle University Swimming.
To clarify the men’s A-10 1,650 progression there are both Conference Meet Records and overall Conference Records. In Feb 2013, Sholdra swam a 15.24.66 breaking the Conference Meet record of 15.34.07 set by Ed Denny of West Virginia in 1980 but not the Conference Record of 15.22.46 set in 1983 by Craig Copper also with WV. In Feb 2014 LaSalle’s Glenesk’s time of 15.20.48 beat the 1 year old Conference Meet record and the 31 year old Conference Record. Then this past Feb, Bomprezzi of UMASS broke both 1 year old records with a winning time of 15.13.69.
the A10 1650 record was set in 1980 making it a 33 year old record when Steve Sholdra of Fordham set the new record in 2013. Mattias Glenesk then reset the 1 year old record 2014 and the record was again reset in 2015. I know, I set the record in 1980 at WVU’s pool, where it is still the pool record.