Jerry Hammaker, appointed to serve as the assistant athletic director beginning in July of 2008, has led the Lycoming College swimming teams to unprecedented levels in his eight years as head coach. He has drastically increased both the talent and depth of the teams. Lycoming swimmers have set 45 new school records over the past six years, including marks dating back to the early-1980s. Under Hammaker, the men’s team has a dual meet record of 51-21 (.708) and the women hold a mark of 54-19 (.740). Lycoming has also been represented at the NCAA Championships with swimmers placing as high as second at the national meet.

The men’s and the women’s teams have both achieved Academic All-American status in four of the last five seasons. In 2007, senior Jessica Gough was given Lycoming’s highest honor, the Chieftain Award, at the College’s honors convocation. Lycoming swimmers have been represented at Lycoming’s commencement by a class valedictorian, a class speaker, and by numerous academic and athletic award honorees.

Former Lycoming athletic director Frank Girardi says, “Jerry has proven that he has the ability to get his athletes to perform at high levels. He has made great strides in terms of wins in a short amount of time. Jerry has established a solid foundation for the future of our program.”

Coach Hammaker came to Lycoming College with over 18 years of coaching experience. He served as an interim coach for the Lycoming swim teams during the 2000-2001 season.

In that season, he headed up the recruiting program and the sprint-training group while assisting with all other coaching duties. He was named full-time head coach of men’s and women’s swimming at the conclusion of 2000-2001.

Prior to returning to his hometown of Williamsport, Hammaker served as head coach & CEO of the 100+ member age group team, Hilton Head Aquatics Club (H2A), in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Hammaker was also head coach of the competitive adult masters swim team and the boy’s and girl’s swim teams at Hilton Head High School. He was Age Group chairperson for the South Carolina LSC, a South Carolina Zone Team coach, and was nominated for Age Group Coach of the Year twice during his tenure at H2A.

Hammaker said, “To coach the college swim team in my home town is truly a dream job. It gives me the opportunity to do what I love while being surrounded by my family and friends. Lycoming has provided me the opportunity to recruit a great group of young men and women to our campus. I am very proud of our team’s history and the alumni members of our swimming family. Our current team continues a tradition of excellence both in the classroom and in the water. I am anxious to see what we can do as a team this season and the new swimmers we will bring to Lycoming in the future.”

Born and raised in the Williamsport area, Hammaker began his own swimming career at the age of four in the local Williamsport area summer swim league. He continued through age group swimming at the Williamsport YMCA where he was a team, district, and state record holder. He also swam at the Williamsport Area High School, where he was a 10-time district champion and multi-event school record holder. Hammaker still holds many team and pool records throughout the Williamsport area.

Hammaker began his coaching career at age 15, as an assistant coach for the South Williamsport and then the Williamsport swim teams. He earned his first head coaching position in 1986 with the Montoursville Summer Swim Team.

While attending graduate school at Penn State, Hammaker founded and coached the XL Aquatic Club which was a USA Swimming team based in Williamsport.

Upon conclusion of his studies at Penn State, he coached at Bishop Neumann and South Williamsport High Schools, both of which practiced at Lycoming College’s pool.

Before moving to South Carolina, Hammaker was head coach of the YMCA/USS swim team at the Williamsport YMCA, where he coached numerous district, state, and national qualifiers.

In addition to his coaching experience, Hammaker is a member of the American Swim Coaches Association (Level III) and the College Swimming Coaches Association of American (CSCAA). He has worked as a swim camp coach and counselor at Clarion University of Pennsylvania and has attended the Age Group Coaches College held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He is also a Certified Aquatic Facilities Operator.

Hammaker is a graduate of The College of Wooster (Ohio), where he earned a B.A. in speech communications with a philosophy minor. He was a four-year letter winner and a school record holder for the Fighting Scots.

Lycoming is one of the only college swim teams to offer its own ACSM Certified Strength and Fitness Coach who helps develop and oversee the swim teams’ dryland program. Massage therapy is also offered to swimmers by a certified massage therapist.