LYCOMING COLLEGE NAMES HEAD SWIMMING COACH

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The Lycoming College athletic department has named Jerry Hammaker head coach of the men’s and women’s swimming programs. Hammaker served as assistant coach under interim head coach Kristian Stedji-Larsen during the 2000-2001 season. The full-time position became available following the departure of Gerry Cournoyer, who had coached the team since 1997.

“We’re very happy to have a person of Jerry’s swimming background join our staff,” said Director of Athletics Frank Girardi. “We feel that he is the person that will take Lycoming’s swimming program to the next level.”

Prior to coming to Lycoming, Hammaker spent two years in Hilton Head Island, S.C., where he was involved with Hilton Head Aquatics (H2A). Hammaker served as C.E.O. of H2A Board of Directors, head coach of 120-member youth team and head coach of a competitive adult team. He also served as head coach of the boy’s and girl’s teams at Hilton Head High School.

Hammaker has experience with local swimming organizations as well. He began his coaching career as an assistant for the South Williamsport and Williamsport Area swim teams. He earned his first head coaching position, in 1986 when he became head coach of the Montoursville Area swim team. He later founded and coached the XL Aquatic Club, a club team based in Williamsport that competed in USA Swimming. Before moving south, Hammaker was the head coach of the YMCA/USS swim team at the Williamsport YMCA.

In addition to his coaching experience, Hammaker is a member of the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association and the American Swim Coaches Association. He also has worked as a swim camp coach and counselor at Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to return to my hometown and work as a full-time swim coach at an institution such as Lycoming College. This really is my dream job,” said Hammaker. “I enjoyed this past year with the team and look forward to taking the program to a level it has never been at before. I want Lycoming to become a power – not just in the conference, but in the nation. I’m confident that we can do that by recruiting student-athletes from the immediate area to swim at Lycoming.”

Hammaker is a graduate of The College of Wooster, where he earned a degree in speech communications. He currently lives in South Williamsport.