Courtesy: Wittenberg Athletics
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – Noah Moran, J.D., who served as the interim head coach of the men’s & women’s swimming & diving program’s at Wittenberg for the 2018-19 season, has officially been named as the program’s next head coach, as announced by Vice President & Director of Athletics, Dr. Gary Williams, on Monday, April 1st.
“We are pleased to have Noah continue on as our head coach for the men’s and women’s swimming & diving programs. This was an exceptionally difficult year for everyone involved and I could not be prouder of our team and coaching staff for how they all battled through the early season adversity and came together in and out of the pool by the end of the season,” said Williams. “Noah brings a tremendous amount of experience and passion as a swim coach and our athletes improved this season in ways that many of them may not have thought was possible. This season was the true example and embodiment of what we mean by “Tigering Up” and I am excited to see what Noah and the team can accomplish in the future.”
Moran came to Wittenberg back in the fall in the interim capacity after serving as the head coach at NCAA Division II member Tiffin University from 2015-18. Prior to his head coaching stint at Tiffin, Moran was also the head coach for the Turkish Swimming Federation from August 2014 to March of 2015.
“Over the past season, I was able to evaluate where Wittenberg stood as a university and the commitment to and of the Swimming & Diving program. It is impressive to see the vision of the institution’s leaders, especially from President, Dr. Mike Frandsen, and Vice President and Director of Athletics, Dr. Gary Williams,” said Moran. “When you are on campus, you understand their focus to improve the experience of all Wittenberg students, faculty, staff, as well as the Springfield community. Wittenberg has provided the resources for a successful past. With new resources from renovations and new buildings, their leadership is pushing Wittenberg for holistic academic and athletic success into the future.”
Over the course of the 2018-19 season, Moran helped several athletes accomplish both season- and career-best times in their specialty strokes. The men’s team finished the campaign with a dual meet record of 5-3, which included head-to-head wins over NCAC members Oberlin and Hiram. On the women’s side the team posted a dual meet record of 2-7, but both of those victories also came in conference against Oberlin and Hiram. The Tigers concluded the season in mid-February at the NCAC Championships where the men finished ninth with 449 points and the women finished eighth overall with 477 total points.
“Along with the core group of swimmers and divers that have dedicated themselves to improving the team through positive attitudes, academic achievement, and challenging their mental and physical limits, Wittenberg Swimming & Diving is improving,” stated Moran. “Seeing how the team responded and worked collaboratively for their success was an interesting experience. It was something I found worth continuing. I am looking forward to seeing where this team can go over the next few seasons.”
During his time at the helm of the Tiffin program, Moran helped lead five swimmers to qualify for the NCAA Div. II Swimming & Diving Championships and also implemented new training methods that led to student-athletes recording 34 new school records in just three seasons.
Although new to Div. III, Moran is no stranger to the collegiate swimming community as he also served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Eastern Michigan University, for a 15-year stretch. He first served in a voluntary role from 1998-2006, before being named as the assistant coach from October of 2006 to August of 2013.
In addition to holding a Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Michigan University in Political Science and Communications, Moran also received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Detroit-Mercy in 2003.