COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — Colorado College has hired Franco Pacheco as an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s swimming programs, head coach Anne Goodman James announced today. Pacheco comes to Colorado Springs after serving as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for three seasons at Colby College in Waterville, Maine.
“We are thrilled to have Franco join our coaching staff,” Goodman James said. “He brings outstanding experience in collegiate coaching and proven success in recruiting to selective liberal arts colleges. He has an outstanding plan for recruiting and we are excited about what he brings to our team.”
Pacheco was recently selected as one of six assistant coaches in all divisions to earn the 2015 Jean Freeman Scholarship from the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA).
The scholarship is given annually to three male and three female assistant coaches whose exceptional contributions have brought recognition to their college or university, and whose leadership, integrity, honesty, competitive attitude, and personal graciousness epitomizes those characteristics reflected by Freeman.
“I am so excited to join the Colorado College family,” Pacheco said. “There is so much potential here and I am grateful for this spectacular opportunity.”
Prior to joining the Colby staff in 2012, Pacheco was an assistant coach for the men and women’s swimming programs at Villanova University.
During his tenure at Villanova, he specialized in the distance freestyle events while contributing to the team’s dry land workouts. Pacheco also headed the Wildcats scouting and statistics efforts and handled the reporting of all results to the BIG EAST Conference. Pacheco coached at the Canadian Olympic Trials and also coached two United States Olympic Trials Qualifiers.
Before coaching at Villanova, Pacheco was enlisted in the United States Army and was primarily stationed at Fort George G. Meade in Maryland. He received an honorable discharge in August, 2011.
As an undergraduate swimmer at The College of Saint Rose (N.Y.), Pacheco was a four-year member of the swim team and a two-year captain for the Golden Knights. During his career Pacheco earned all-conference honors from both the Northeast-10 and the Metropolitan Conference.
A 2006 graduate of Saint Rose with a bachelor’s degree in public communications and an emphasis in journalism, Pacheco went on to earn a master’s degree in education from Saint Joseph’s College (Maine) and an M.B.A. from Thomas College.
Pacheco will begin his duties at CC in August.
Swimming news courtesy of Colorado College.