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Monmouth College Names Kurt Niemeier Head Swimming Coach
MONMOUTH, Ill. -- Monmouth College men's club coach Kurt Neimeier added to his responsibilities as the recent college graduate was named head swimming coach at his alma mater. A native of Orland Park, Ill., and a decorated member of the swim team, he guided the Monmouth men's water polo team to the Division III National Collegiate Club Championship the past two seasons.
“I’m very pleased with the decision to hire Kurt,” said athletic director Roger Haynes. “It was a blend of all of his qualifications that made him stand out in a very good pool of candidates.”
In addition to his coaching
experiences as an assistant swim and head men's water polo coach at
Monmouth last year, the fact that he is a certified pool operator
(CPO) helped the first-year coach land the job.
“It was really a blend of three areas that made Kurt the best
candidate in my mind,” explained Haynes. “As a CPO, he
will be able to offer swimming and lifeguarding courses as well as
maintain our pool. That makes him a valuable asset to our
department. It’s not often you find a CPO in the athletic
department. At many institutions, they are employed outside of the
department. Obviously, he proved to be a very good assistant coach
last season and we’re very happy he is continuing his
post-graduate education. In the future, Kurt will ultimately teach
in the exercise science and health-related fields.”
The only coach in the two-year history of the Monmouth water polo program, he guided the Crab People to a record of 11-5 in Heartland Division play. Following a 4-4 Heartland Division record to finish third in the division and a seventh place finish at the Division III National Collegiate Club Championship during the program's first season in 2007, he pushed the Monmouth program to new heights in 2008.
Following a first place finish during the division regular season, Monmouth rolled through the division tournament and knocked off Grinnell College 8-4 in the team's first-ever title game appearance. The fourth program in division history to win the title joining Grinnell, Macalester College and Saint Mary's University, Monmouth repeated its 2007 performance by placing seventh at the 2008 Division III National Collegiate Club Championship. For his coaching performance, Neimeier was recognized by his fellow coaches as the 2008 Heartland Division Coach of the Year.
During his tenure, Monmouth has earend six All-Conference selections, including back-to-back first team nods for Joe Moran and three second team selections for Matt Travnik (2007), Tom Pederson (2007, 2008) and Matt O'Rourke (2008).
A standout swimmer, Niemeier
competed for the Fighting Scots during his sophomore and junior
years before an injury forced an early end to his collegiate swim
career. A sprint specialist, he won Midwest Conference titles in
the 50- and 100-yard freestyles in 2007, becoming the first
Monmouth swimmer to win two conference titles in the same season
since 1969. Niemeier successfully defended his title in the 50
freestyle in 2008 and was on the winning 200 medley relay team that
year. His four league titles ties him for second as the
Scots’ most decorated swimmer. Niemeier also holds two
individual school records and was on four record-holding relay
teams.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity that Monmouth has
given me,” said Niemeier. “The college gave me so much
during my time as a student. Now, I hope to be able to repay that
debt by representing Monmouth as a full-time member of the coaching
staff. I look forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie
ahead.”
The first-year head coach should be well-prepared for some of those
coaching challenges. In 2008, interim coach Dave Yez – a
long-time assistant with the Scots – named Niemeier his top
aide. Niemeier was responsible for running the men’s workouts
and establishing a training program. Under their guidance,
Monmouth’s men placed second at last season’s
conference championships for the third straight year and won three
individual events.
Niemeier inherits a men’s program that has captured 11
individual and relay conference titles since the program was
reinstated in 2005. The men have won three MWC events in each of
the last three years.
“The previous coaches have left the program on a very solid
foundation and I’m looking forward to taking the teams to the
next level,” said Niemeier. “It’s quite an honor
to be selected to lead a team I once swam on. My goal is for both
teams to become full-fledged contenders on the conference and
national levels. We’ve been very good conference-wise in the
past, but now it’s time to advance the program even
further.”
Release courtesy CWPA & Monmouth Athletic Communications
