Bucknell head swimming & diving coach Dan Schinnerer announced Friday that Ethan Cooke and John Funk have joined his staff as assistant coaches.
Cooke spent the past two campaigns as an assistant coach at Division III Wesleyan University while Funk comes to Bucknell from Division I Texas Christian University, where he was elevated to assistant coach in August 2014 after serving a season as a graduate assistant coach.
During his time at Wesleyan, Cooke worked with two NCAA qualifiers and watched school records fall 33 times. He helped coach Caroline Murphy to a fourth-place finish in the 100 backstroke at the 2018 NCAA Division III Championships and also mentored Wesleyan’s first three NESCAC individual champions.
Cooke was tasked with creating and running swimming-specific strength sessions, including dry land power circuits, lifting programs and yoga sessions. He also helped with recruiting, fundraising and managing the team’s online store.
While at Wesleyan, Cooke served as the head senior coach at Middlesex Aquatic Club. There, he ran all practices for the senior group and coached the top eight swimmers in the 13-to-14 age group at the Connecticut Age Group Championship. From 2015 to 2016, he was an age group coach for the Hawks Swimming Association, where he helped prepare athletes for meets such as the Speedo Sectionals and Adirondack Gold Championships.
Cooke swam for SUNY New Paltz, graduating in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Finance. While a Hawk, he earned 2016 All-SUNYAC honors in the 200 butterfly and 400 freestyle relay. A three-year captain, he set school records in the 200 butterfly and freestyle and medley relays. He went on to complete his master’s degree in Liberal Arts and Studies from Wesleyan in 2018.
At Texas Christian, Funk worked with the breaststroke and butterfly stroke groups and served as the men’s team coordinator and NCAA compliance liaison. He coached a Big 12 champion and helped swimmers set school records in the 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke, 100 breaststroke, 100 butterfly, 200 and 400 freestyle relays and 200 and 400 medley relays. Many of his athletes posted NCAA ‘B’ times and met the Olympic Trials time standard.
Away from the pool, Funk planned alumni functions, team banquets and luncheons. He was heavily involved in recruiting and served as the meet manager for all home competitions. He also helped oversee the program’s summer youth games and led the Texas University USA Swim Club beginning in August 2015.
Before his time with the Horned Frogs, Funk was an assistant coach for the Princeton Pirates Swim Team (2012-2013) and student teacher at Grace A. Dunn Middle School (2013).
Funk graduated from Rider University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education and English and later obtained his master’s degree in Liberal Arts from Texas Christian in 2017.
A three-time MAAC champion and team MVP, Funk helped lead the Broncs to back-to-back MAAC titles in 2012 and 2013 and qualified for the U.S. Open. He set a school and MAAC record in the 200 IM at the 2012 MAAC Championships, clocking in at 1:47.56. He also competed in the 100 butterfly and 400 IM and was a member of the 800 freestyle relay team that set the school record at the 2012 ECAC Championships.
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