Pepperdine University announced on Monday of this week that Joe Spahn will be taking over as the head coach of the women’s swimming & diving program. Pepperdine’s longtime head coach Nick Rodionoff announced earlier this spring that he would not be returning for the 2018-19 season after 18 seasons leading the program.
Spahn will be heading to Malibu, California after spending three as the assistant coach at Notre Dame. During his time there the Fighting Irish set 47 new school records, qualified 42 individuals for the NCAA Championships, and had 11 All-Americans. Spahn also had coaching stints at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa (2013-15), UNLV (2012-13), and Georgia (2010-2012) prior to his time at Notre Dame.
You can read the full press release for Pepperdine Athletics below:
Notre Dame assistant swimming coach Joe Spahn has been selected as the Pepperdine women’s swimming and diving head coach, Director of Athletics Dr. Steve Potts announced Monday.
Spahn is in his third year at Notre Dame where the Irish men’s and women’s teams set 47 school records, produced 11 All-Americans and qualified 42 men and women to the NCAA Championships during his tenure.
“I am extremely humbled and honored to have the opportunity to lead the Pepperdine University women’s swimming and diving program,” Spahn said. “I want to thank Director of Athletics Dr. Steve Potts and Associate Director of Athletics Matt Kalish for their confidence and support. I look forward to continuing a positive Pepperdine student-athlete experience through Christian values, academic excellence and competing for championships. My wife, Mary Kate, and I are thrilled to be a part of the Pepperdine Family.”
Spahn helped the Notre Dame women to a fifth-place finish at the 2018 ACC Championships and 41st at the NCAA Championships and the men’s team to a fourth-place finish at the 2018 ACC Championships and 23rd at the NCAA Championships. Spahn has also been the camp director of the University of Notre Dame Swim Camp since 2016.
“We are very excited to welcome Joe to the Pepperdine Wave family,” Potts said. “Joe is a great fit for our University’s Christian mission and brings extensive experience as a swim coach as well. We are thrilled that he will be leading our swim and dive program.”
Prior to Notre Dame, Spahn was the assistant men’s and women’s swimming coach and women’s recruiting coordinator at University of Hawai’i at Manoa from 2013-15. He was the lead coach for middle distance swimmers and the travel coordinator. In 2015 he helped the women’s team win their first Mountain Pacific Sports Federation conference title since 2006 and second ever. Both the men and women finished in the top five in the conference throughout his tenure.
Spahn also worked a year at UNLV as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, where he helped the men’s team win the conference title in 2013. He also worked as a volunteer assistant coach at Georgia from 2010-13 where the women’s team took home three straight SEC championships and took second in the NCAA Championships in 2011 and 2012 (also finished in the top five in 2010). The Georgia men’s team finished in the top three in the SEC Championships and in the top 10 of the NCAA Championships all three years Spahn was there.
Spahn, an Albuquerque, New Mexico, native, is a 2009 grad of Minnesota State University Mankato and was a distance swimmer for the Mavericks, where he earned all-conference and academic all-conference honors.
Press release courtesy of Pepperdine University Athletics.
Jennifer Fath Dunn