Noah Beck has been named the Head Coach of the Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving teams and the Aquatics Director at Marywood University according to an announcement from Dr. Mary Jo Gunning, Director of Athletics and Recreation. Beck comes to Marywood after finishing his second season as an Assistant Coach with the Swimming and Diving programs and as Aquatics Director at SUNY-Geneseo in Geneseo, New York.
“We are extremely excited to welcome Noah as our newest full-time coach and as Aquatics Director here at Marywood” stated Gunning. “Coach Beck was the most qualified candidate to continue to help our swimmers and divers climb to the top of the Landmark Conference while also recruiting qualified student-athletes and expanding our aquatics program within our state-of-the-art aquatics center” Dr. Gunning added.
Beck joined the Knights prior to the 2014-15 season and has since been a part of four State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Championship teams, guiding numerous conference champions and NCAA qualifiers.
“Coach Beck stood out as amongst others not only because of his extensive knowledge of the sport but also because of his experience as an aquatics director” said Andrew Smith, Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications and Chair of the Search Committee. “The entire committee agreed that the time has come for Noah to become a Head Coach at the Division III level and we couldn’t be more excited that he has chosen to start that career path here at Marywood.”
Beck also served as head coach of the Cortland YMCA Stingers, guiding competitors of all skill levels from ages 5-18 that have included four national qualifiers and a national finalist over the last four seasons. Spending two seasons as an assistant coach for the program from 2007-09 before taking over as head coach, 12 of his athletes have gone on to compete at the intercollegiate level as well.
Beck spent one season as an assistant coach with the SUNY Cortland swimming & diving program in 2013-14. His previous experience also includes coaching the Cortland Adapted Swim Team, working with 25 swimmers with varying mental and physical special needs ranging in ages 4-21.
Beck is a member of the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA), and serves a member of the national ranking committee.
Beck is a 2004 graduate of the University of Connecticut where he earned a degree in ecology and evolutionary biology. He also was a four-year competitor on the Huskies’ swimming & diving squad, specializing in the butterfly and distance freestyle events.
Beck is now the third full-time coach in program history. Last fall, Marywood’s first-ever Head Coach and Aquatics Director Greg Brown left the Pacers to join Division I Florida Atlantic University and Interim Head Coach and Aquatics Director Katherine Weaver left in the summer of 2016 to pursue her Ph.D. in Physical Therapy at Temple University.
Beck inherits a men’s program that went 5-3 overall last year and had a 3-2 record in Landmark Conference action while finishing in fourth place at the Landmark Championships. The women’s program was 5-4 (2-3 Landmark) and finished fourth at the Championships as well.