Rich Munson has been chosen as the next Head Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Coach and Aquatics Director at Drew University, announced by Director of Athletics Jason Fein on Monday morning.
Munson makes the move from New York University, where he has served as an assistant coach for the Violets since 2012. During his three seasons, he was part of a coaching staff that helped transform a stagnant program into a vibrant group of hardworking student-athletes focused on competing on the national level. That goal was met as both NYU programs placed ninth at the 2015 NCAA Division III Championships. Munson plans to bring that same championship culture to the deck at Drew University by running a structured program focused on each individual’s personal goals and events.
“We are enthused to have Rich join our coaching staff,” Fein said. “His dedication to training elite student-athletes is impressive, only rivaled by his unbridled passion for the sport of swimming and diving. There is a lot of excitement in the department to see where Rich can take this program.”
A 2000 graduate of Seton Hall University, where he competed for the Pirates at the Division I level in the Big East Conference, Munson’s personal success as a student-athlete sparked his interest in coaching. After a successful stint on Wall Street as a financial analyst, Munson made his return to the pool as a volunteer coach at Stevens Institute of Technology in 2007, where he learned the basics of recruiting, race strategies, and teaching techniques. In his five seasons as an assistant, Munson helped produce 16 NCAA All-Americans and 24 NCAA Honorable Mention All-Americans. In his final season at Stevens, both teams posted their highest-ever finishes at the NCAA Championships, with the women placing fifth and the men 11th.
At NYU, the results were swift and staggering upon Munson’s arrival. Within two years, the Violets transitioned from having a combined eight athletes achieve 12 NCAA B qualifying times with no individuals invited to the NCAA Championships, to 38 athletes posting 99 NCAA B qualifying times with 20 individuals invited to nationals.
“I am very excited to lead the Rangers as the next head coach of Drew swimming and diving,” Munson said. “I sincerely thank the search committee team and Jason Fein for entrusting me to build a successful program at Drew. We will have very high expectations going forward and I can’t wait to get started.”
Munson was a part of the University Athletics Association 2015 Coaching Staff of the Year after guiding the NYU men’s and women’s teams to undefeated dual meet records, a combined 23 UAA Academic All-Star honors, and 36 new program records. His other duties at NYU included assisting the management of the natatorium, creating high-intensity training programs, leading alumni fundraising events, and performing post-meet race analysis to track stroke rates, lap pace, and overall times versus the competition.
Munson was attracted to Drew’s distinct recruiting advantages such as reputable academic programs, vast internship opportunities, and proximity to New York City. It is his immediate mission to integrate the returning student-athletes with his philosophy on training combined with a renewed dedication to surpassing their personal goals. He carries over the unique skillset developed in the financial sector, including attention to operational detail, art of negotiation, customer service, and how to keep calm under extreme pressure. These skills have helped challenge student-athletes to be their best both in and out of the pool.
A native of Maplewood, NJ, Munson resides in Hoboken, NJ.
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