In a sobering reminder that verbal commitments are non-binding until letters are signed, Hanna House of the Carmel Swim Club has changed her mind. After initially pledging her services to the Virginia Cavaliers, House has decided that she will verbally commit to Notre Dame instead. This was confirmed today by her Carmel Swim Club head coach Chris Plumb, who initially told us of her first decision.
House’s impact on the ACC as a freshman will still be significant, it will now just be for a different team. House is the defending Indiana High School runner-up in both the 100 fly and the 100 back for state powerhouses Carmel High School.
House’s best times in yards:
- 100 back – 54.1
- 200 back – 1:58.9
- 100 fly – 54.6
- 200 fly – 2:00.6
- 200 IM – 2:02.9
With Kim Holden done after last season, and Kelly Ryan done after this coming season, House will almost surely become the Irish’s top backstroker immediately as a freshman. Combined with breaststroker Ema Reaney and butterflier Cat Galleti, that gives Notre Dame a medley relay that could contend for top 3 positions in the ACC.
The Irish really need to add a sprint freestyler to fill out their class of 2014. Though she can only swim one leg on the medley, House may actually be a factor on Notre Dame’s free relays as a freshman as well (certainly more than she would have been at Virginia). She split 23.27 and 50.99 on rolling stars at the Indiana High School State Championship meet as a junior, even though her flat-start times aren’t nearly that good.
And the written commitments shouldn’t be any more binding than the contracts seem to be on the coaches. While less of a problem in swimming, it still drives me crazy that coaches can leave at the drop of a hat, and athletes can’t leave when the coach leaves without sacrificing a year of eligibility. Also, most scholarships are year to year, not guaranteed for four years. So the athlete is tied to the school much more than the school is committed to the athlete.
Peter . As a complete outsider it still seems to me that the choice of college not the coach should be the prime factor.
After all no one is going to ask who your coach was against which college you graduated from when you apply for jobs.
A college will always get someone else to fill the vacancy. Adapting & learning to swim well with any program is not a bad thing.