Third-year Sacred Heart University Head Swimming and Diving coach John Spadafina announced the addition of two coaches to the Pioneers staff for the 2016-17 season. Molly Chamberlain will assume the duties of assistant swim coach while Tony Cortright will take on the duties of diving coach.
“I am excited about the addition of Molly and Tony to our program,” said Spadafina. “They are talented coaches who will make an immediate impact on our performance and I look forward to working with them.”
Chamberlain comes to SHU after serving as the Senior Team Coach and Club Administrator for the Albany Starfish in Niskayuna, N.Y. A USA Swimming Level II Certified Coach, this past year she also coached the Niskayuna High School Boys Varsity team, with two athletes qualifying for the State Championship Meet. Chamberlain got her collegiate start in coaching at her alma mater, Siena College, from 2012-2015. At Siena, Chamberlain was team captain for the Saints as she earned her B.A. in Social Work.
Cortright, a graduate of UConn, has been the Head Women’s Diving Coach at Central Connecticut State University since September 2014, earning NEC Diving Coach of the Year honors in 2015. His student-athletes have won on both boards at the NEC Championship, including a conference and school record on the 3-meter board. At UConn, Cortright set a school record on the 1-meter board, qualified for NCAA Zones in 2014 and was a finalist on both boards at the AAC Championship, while scoring on platform.
The 2015-16 Pioneer swim team equaled a program-best for dual meets win in a season, including the program’s first-ever win over Fairfield. SHU student-athletes set five school records during the season; posting 23 career-best and 32 collegiate-best swims at the NEC Championship.
Swimming news courtesy of SHU Swimming & Diving.