Title: | Head Coach |
Phone: | 781-768-7148 |
Email: | james.sweeney@regiscollege.edu |
James Sweeney has been the Aquatics Director and Head Coach of the Men's & Women's Swimming and Diving teams at Regis College since September 2012. Since taking over the program, the teams have had tremendous success in the classroom and in the pool.
In 2020, the women's team finished second in the GNAC and a program-best fifth in the NEISDA Championships. Senior Sarah Leonard became the first Pride female swimmer to win a New England title in 23 years as she finished first in both the 50 backstroke and 100 backstroke at the NEISDA Championships. The men's squad was led by GNAC Rookie of the Year Robert Wood, the winner of three individual events at the GNAC Championships. The men finished third at the league championships before an eighth place finish at the NEISDA Championships.
In both 2018 and 2019, Sweeney was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men’s Coach of the Year. The men’s team was named the Men’s Institutional Sportsmanship Award recipient, and for the first time his swimmer was awarded the GNAC Men’s Swimmer of the Year. Academically in 2017-18, a record 12 of his student-athletes earned GNAC all-academic honors breaking the previous year’s record of 11, with both teams ranking in the nation in team GPA.
In 2015, the men had its highest GPA (3.46) which ranked them fifth in the country, and have been nationally ranked in the top 32 nine of the past 12 semesters, and in the top 10 for three semesters. The women’s team has been nationally ranked 11 out of the past 12 semesters with spring 2016 being their highest GPA (3.47) ranked 20th in the country. The swimming and diving team is a two-time recipient of the Judith Burling Team Award for the highest team GPA.
In the pool, the men and women have broken over 100 school records in the past seven years. Prior to Coach James's arrival, the women's team only had one record broken in the previous 12 seasons, and only two since 1997, but have had 20 in the past seven years. The men's team not only has produced 91 school records in the past seven years, but also has had many "firsts" for the program as well such as scoring points at the ECAC Championships and being the highest scoring Division III team, and having several NCAA "B" qualifying times. The men's team has also produced five pool records at away dual meets.
Sweeney has coached several Olympic Medalists (1 Gold, 3 Bronze) and Olympians, National Champions and record holders, College and High School All-Americans, U.S. Swimming Zone Camp participants, and U.S Open, Junior National, and Senior National qualifiers. He began his college coaching career as an assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts while obtaining his Master's degree in Sport Management. He then went on to the University of Miami where he was an assistant coach before being promoted to head coach. During his tenure as head coach at the University of Miami, he also co-owned and operated a USS swim team named Cane Aquatics, a Master's swim team, a swim lesson program, and a summer sports camp. Subsequent to Miami, he moved back to the Boston area and got involved with a local YMCA in Andover prior to moving to Illinois. While in Illinois, he served as the CEO/Head Coach of the Naperville Swim Team and later assisted with the Academy Bullet Swim Team before moving back to Miami to work at Gulliver Schools.
As a swimmer, James achieved great success both during high school, and for Olympic swim coach and legend James "Doc" Councilman at Indiana University. During high school, he was a U.S. Olympic Festival Champion, Junior National Champion and Rookie of the Meet at Senior National Championships. He participated in the 1988 Olympic Team Swimming Trials and qualified for the 1992 Olympic Trials. James also broke 4 New England 18 & Under swimming records.
At Indiana University, he was a 4-time NCAA All-American, and a 3-time Big Ten Champion. He is the former school record holder in the 1000 free, 1650 free, and 800 free relay, and had broken pool records at Indiana University, the University of Michigan, and at the University of Illinois. He began learning the science of swimming from the legendary "Doc" Councilman, the coach of Mark Spitz among other greats. James's butterfly stroke is illustrated in "Doc's" book the New Science of Swimming. James was Doc's final Big Ten Champion and NCAA All-American in his illustrious hall of fame coaching career at IU.
James received his B.A. at Indiana University, and a M.S. in Sport Management at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. He has a 9 year old son named Broden.
Regis College Highlights:
As Head Coach at Gulliver Schools:
While coaching with the Academy Bullets Swim Team:
As the CEO/Head Coach of the Naperville Swim Team:
During his tenure at the Andover/North Andover YMCA as the Director of Competitive Swimming:
As the Head Coach at the University of Miami:
As an assistant coach at the University of Miami:
At the University of Massachusetts in Amherst: