HICKORY, North Carolina, April 16. PAUL Schiffel was named Lenoir-Rhyne's initial head coach for women's swimming, announced today by L-R's Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Neill McGeachy. Schiffel assumed duties on April 1, 2007.
Schiffel currently serves as the owner and coach of the Catawba Valley Aquatics Club and has been the head coach of the men's and women's teams at St. Stephens High School since 1992.
"Lenoir-Rhyne provides an opportunity for me to fulfill a long-time goal and dream to coach swimming at the collegiate level," said Schiffel. "L-R's facilities are very impressive for creating a women's program. They are some of the better facilities for an NCAA Division II school in this part of the country. I believe this program can reach high levels, not only locally, but on a national level as well. Lenoir-Rhyne can draw exceptional athletes to compete in swimming."
Schiffel also served as the head coach of the Hickory Seahorse Swim Team (1978-84 and 1986-89) and coached a swimmer who later became a two-time NCAA Division II All-American (2000 and 2002).
In the 1980s, Schiffel coached several swimmers who qualified for the Olympic Trials and USA Swimming Senior Nationals.
Several team accomplishments for Schiffel were the 1985 NCS Short Course Age Group Championship and St. Stephens' second-place finish in the NCHSAA Championship in 2006.
"We are extremely fortunate to have as our new head women's swimming coach a man of Paul's (Schiffel) caliber," said McGeachy. "This is the first Women's Swimming Coach in the 116 years of Lenoir-Rhyne College and we started at the top."
Schiffel graduated from East Carolina University in 1975 with a bachelor's degree in health and physical education and earned his master's degree in education from ECU in 1981 as well.
Schiffel, a member of the East Carolina's team, earned Team MVP honors as a junior and served as an assistant coach for the Pirates from 1975 to 1978.
Schiffel is currently a Physical Education Teacher at St. Stephens Elementary School in Hickory, N.C.
Special thanks to Lenoir-Rhyne for contributing this article.