Bret Lundgaard, the recently-appointed head coach of women’s swimming and diving at Princeton University, explains how he was wooed by the motto of Princeton’s Athletic Department, “Education Through Athletics,” and how he views his role as he takes over from retiring head coach Susan Teeter.
“In our sport, some of the greatest athletes we have are, in fact, some of the best in the classroom. To have this complete, overall vision of honoring the student-athlete experience and cultivating excellence around that whole picture is something I think we can do here, and do so in a really energizing way.”
Lundgaard comes from a background of coaching. Both his mother and step-father were club coaches; his mother coached high school, as well. “I think I naturally gravitated toward the whole teaching process, and that was something that gave me a lot of energy.”
Lundgaard recently accompanied Teeter on a series of stops in her “goodbye tour,” celebrating her career with Princeton alumni around the country as she made her way out to San Diego to accept the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America’s National Collegiate and Scholastic Trophy at the CSCAA’s 57th Annual Awards Banquet on May 8th. “I’ve got my work cut out for me but I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’m inheriting a culture and a program of excellence that’s has some tradition that’s phenomenal,” he says. “I know that Coach Teeter wants me to come in and not just maintain, but keep building upon it. And that’s how we are going to honor her.”
Watch the whole interview here: