Helaina Sacco Named Colby-Sawyer Swimming & Diving Head Coach

Courtesy: Colby-Sawyer Athletics

NEW LONDON, N.H. – August 14, 2020 – Colby-Sawyer Director of Athletics Mitch Capelle has announced the hiring of Helaina Sacco as the new head coach of the men’s and women’s swimming & diving programs.

In addition to the head coaching position, Sacco will be the Aquatics Coordinator for the Knight Natatorium.

“I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to lead and grow the Colby-Sawyer programs,” said Sacco. “I can’t wait to get to know the student-athletes and work with them to build the team. I want to thank Mitch Capelle for granting me this opportunity and am looking forward to getting started.”

“We are excited to have Helaina join the Colby-Sawyer Chargers family,” said Capelle. “Her background at the Division I and III levels was impressive. Her passion and enthusiasm for the sport and developing student-athletes on and off the deck made her an ideal choice to lead our programs.”

Sacco comes to New London after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach for the Dartmouth College swimming & diving program.

While in Hanover, a short drive up I-89 from Colby-Sawyer, Sacco wrote and ran practices, managed home meets, coordinated team travel and equipment, led recruiting efforts and worked with many areas on campus to enhance the student-athlete experience.

Prior to Dartmouth, Sacco was an assistant at Ohio Northern for three seasons. She also had stints as an assistant coach at the University of Mary Washington (Sept. 2014 – April 2015) and a student-athlete support services intern at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (Aug. 2013 – June 2014).

Sacco earned a Master of Science in Sociology of Sport with Merit from Loughborough University in England in 2013. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with High Honors and Summa Cum Laude from the University of Maine in 2012.