SAVANNAH, Ga. - Savannah College of Art and Design Vice President for Student Success Dr. Philip Alletto has announced that
Chris Conlon has been hired as the men's and women's swimming coach for the Bees.
“It is a pleasure to welcome Chris to SCAD,” said Alletto. “His experience and enthusiasm bode well for our continued success. He understands our approach, and how the swimming program adds to a student's professional preparation.”
Conlon, who brings 20 years of coaching experience to Savannah, has been the head coach at Case Western Reserve University, a NCAA Division III institution in Cleveland, for the past seven seasons. With the Spartans, Conlon has seen his swimmers qualify for the NCAA Division III Championships in 47 individual or relay events. In the classroom, both the men's and women's teams have each been recognized as Scholar All-American teams by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America six times.
“The opportunity to become the head swimming coach at SCAD is tremendously exciting,” said Conlon. “The swimming program has been achieving at extremely high levels and it is clear to me that the desire and support for continued growth and success is present at all levels at SCAD. I am looking forward to working with the professors, swimmers and coaches at SCAD to not only meet, but exceed, our individual and team goals in the coming years.”
Prior to Case Western Reserve, Conlon was an assistant coach at Johns Hopkins University. He was a member of the NCAA Division III Men's Coaching Staff of the Year three out of five seasons at the Baltimore institution. During his stay with the Blue Jays, the men's team finished second in the nation twice while the women finished in the top 10 nationally on two occasions.
Between Case Western Reserve and Johns Hopkins, Conlon has coached 14 NCAA Division III All-Americans.
Conlon received his Bachelor of Arts degree in natural sciences from Johns Hopkins in 1993 and a Master of Arts degree in teaching in 1996. He is certified by the American Swim Coaches Association (Level 4 – NCAA Division III; Level 3 - USS, Age Group) and the Red Cross (Swim Coach Safety Training, First Aid, Adult CPR, and Lifeguarding).
Conlon and his wife Elizabeth have two children, Joshua and Abigail.