The Towson men’s and women’s swimming & diving program has been one of the more successful mid-major program in the country in the last several years, and they have been rewarded for that success by being granted an extra assistant coaching spot beginning in the 2014-2015 season.
Mike Smiechowski, who was an assistant coach and aquatics intern at Villanova last season, will join head coach Pat Mead, his wife and diving coach Maureen Mead, and swimming assistant Laura de Gore on what is now a four-person staff.
“I’m thrilled to join a great program with a rich tradition and an exciting future,” Smiechowski said of his new role. Pat (Mead’s) relentless commitment to building a nationally competitive program is what drew me from day one. The opportunity to be a part of the staffs ambitious vision while returning to the CAA is a dream come true.”
As alluded to by Smiechowski, he is an alumni of the Colonial Athletic Association, having swum for three seasons at UNC Wilmington until his graduation in 2012. There, he was a member of three straight CAA Championships, was a team captain, and was ranked in the school’s top 10 all-time in the 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyles. He spent a year before that at Niagara, where he broke three school records (200 fly, 1650 free, 1000 free).
After graduation, he spent a brief time as an interim assistant at the Sanford Swim Club, working with their senior group, before moving on to a year as an assistant at Villanova.
Smiechowski’s distance background fits in well with what Towson is best known for: their distance group. He says that while the newly-expanded staff hasn’t yet nailed down exactly how they’ll separate coaching groups, he will be in charge of coordinating men’s recruiting.
Last season, Towson’s women won their second-straight CAA title by over 200 points, while the men took 3rd behind Smiechowski’s alma mater UNC-Wilmington and UNC-Wilmington.
As one of MIke’s former coaches, I am proud to say, “Way to go!”