Coaches and Directors
Rory Coleman, Head Coach & Team Director
Coach Rory Coleman brings over 20 years of experience coaching the sport of swimming and working in aquatics.
Since 2018, Rory has spearheaded the development of a youth swimming program in Ebensburg, beginning with the YPCC Summer Swim Team. By the summer of 2021, the YPCC Summer Swim Team had grown to become the largest team in the Moutain Swim League. As interest in swimming contined to expand in Ebensburg and surrounding communities, demand for a year-round program increased. This growth led to the formation of the USA Swimming-affiliated year round swim team, Hellbender Aquatics of the YPCC.
During his undergraduate years, Rory swam collegiately at both the University of Findlay and Keene State College. He was a national qualifier at the University of Findlay and an All–New England performer at Keene State College.
Rory began his coaching career while still in college, serving as an Assistant Coach for the Findlay Area Swim Team (FAST) in Findlay, Ohio. He coached with FAST for two seasons, primarily working with the 10-and-under age group. As his coaching career progressed, Rory went on to serve as the Senior Coach for one season at the Keene Swim Club (KSC) in Keene, New Hampshire, where he worked with swimmers across all age groups as part of the coaching staff. Rory graduated from Keene State in 2000 with a degree in Social Science.
Following his undergraduate studies, Rory served as a Graduate Assistant at Loras College. During this time, he helped coach the Loras College swimming and diving team, serving as the recruiting coordinator and helping lay the foundation for a men’s program that would go on to win conference championships. He also taught swimming classes as part of the college’s physical education curriculum. While in Dubuque, Iowa, Rory was the Head Swimming and Water Polo coach at the Loras College All-Sports Camp, an assistant coach with the Dubuque Area Swimmin’ Hurricanes (DASH), and provided private swim instruction. Rory earned his Master’s Degree in Physical Education from Loras College.
Coleman served as the first-ever Head Coach at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, launching the swimming program from the ground up in 2003. Under his leadership, the Morningside women’s team achieved an 11th-place finish at the NAIA National Championships in 2004, followed by a 13th-place finish in 2005. The men’s team placed 11th at the NAIA National Championships in 2005.
During Coleman’s tenure, thirteen student-athletes qualified for the NAIA National Championships across 37 events. Several swimmers also earned All-America and Honorable Mention All-America recognition from the College Swimming Coaches of America. Notably, nearly 20 years later, one of Coleman’s former athletes still holds the school record in the 400 IM. In addition to his collegiate coaching responsibilities, Coleman served as Aquatics Director at Morningside College, overseeing a highly successful swim lesson program that enrolled more than 600 participants each summer.
In 2005, Rory joined the University of Delaware as an Assistant Swimming Coach. During his tenure, Coleman coached both the distance and sprint groups and served as the program’s recruiting coordinator. He played a key role in the resurgence of the Blue Hens swimming program, helping guide the men’s team to four consecutive third-place finishes at the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championships from 2007–2011—the highest finishes in program history.
During his time at Delaware, the Blue Hens recorded seven top-five team finishes at the CAA Championships and captured 14 conference individual and relay titles. Under Coleman’s guidance, the women’s program achieved a cumulative 77–30 dual meet record and broke all 19 school records. Highlights included a CAA championship by Maryann Walker in the 200-yard backstroke (2009) and two NCAA “B” qualifying times by Cortney Barry in the 500-yard freestyle (4:46.64) and 1650-yard freestyle (16:24.87), marking only the second time in school history a swimmer achieved NCAA “B” standards.
On the men’s side, Coleman helped lead the team to a 67–30 dual meet record while breaking 17 school records. The program experienced a historic revival, earning its first conference dual meet victory since 2000, first individual conference championship since 2001, first relay conference championship since 1992, and the first NCAA “B” cuts in school history. The men produced 13 CAA champions, 19 NCAA “B” qualifying performances, and the program’s first two Olympic Trials qualifiers.
Coleman consistently recruited some of the strongest classes in program history, increasing roster sizes for both the men’s and women’s teams. The Blue Hens also excelled academically during his tenure, with student-athletes earning more than 150 selections to the CAA Academic Honor Roll over eight years.
In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Coleman was an active member of the University of Delaware Recreation Staff. He served as the primary contact for events at Rawstrom Natatorium, including the Blue Hen Swim Camp, lifeguard certification courses, swimming lessons, and major championship events such as the DIAA State Swimming and Diving Championships. He also served as the founding advisor for the UD Club Swimming and Water Polo teams and worked as a summer manager at the university’s Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pool.
In 2013, Rory relocated to Cambria County to become the Head Swimming Coach and Aquatics Director at Saint Francis University. In his first season (2013–14), he continued the strong tradition of Red Flash swimming and led the program to several notable achievements. At the Northeast Conference (NEC) Championships, the Red Flash set two conference records. Senior Elise Lofgren broke her own NEC record in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:16.32), while the 200-yard medley relay team of Becky Peer, Catherine Rogers, Libby Francis, and Danyel Johnson set a new conference record with a time of 1:42.47—surpassing their previous mark by .32 seconds.
Individual accolades followed throughout the season, as Catherine Rogers and Danyel Johnson each earned NEC Swimmer of the Week honors. Lofgren also distinguished herself academically, becoming one of only a handful of Saint Francis student-athletes to earn back-to-back CoSIDA Academic All-America recognition. The team as a whole excelled in the classroom, with the Red Flash named a College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America team in both semesters of the 2013–2014 academic year.
During the 2014–2015 season, Coleman guided the Red Flash to 10 dual meet victories, tying the program record for most wins in a single season. Competing without a single senior on the roster, the team finished fourth at the NEC Championships and posted its strongest performance at the Northeast Catholic Invitational at Boston College, placing second in an eight-team field. Junior captain Catherine Rogers captured the NEC title in the 50-yard freestyle and set a pool record in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:05.08) at Stokes Natatorium against Siena. She also earned NEC Swimmer of the Week honors in January. Freshman Katie Lafferty emerged as a standout in her debut season, earning two NEC Swimmer of the Week awards—most on the team that year.
During the 2015-2016 season, Coleman led Saint Francis to an 8-7 record, the program's fourth consecutive winning season. The Red Flash finished fourth at the NEC Championships and second at the Northeast Catholic Invite, hosted by Boston College. Sophomore Katie Lafferty earned three Top Three finishes at the NEC Championships. She won the 500-yard Freestyle, with a school-record time of 4:53.19. Lafferty placed second in the 200-yard Freestyle, also with a school-best mark of 1:50.00. She also took third in the 100-yard Freestyle, with a career-best time of 51.00, the second-fastest in program history. Lafferty won three NEC Swimmer of the Week awards. Sophomore Mary Kish finished third in the 200-yard Breaststroke at the NEC Championships, with a time of 2:16.56, the second-best in school history.
During the 2016-2017 season, Coleman led the Red Flash to a program-record 11 dual-meet wins and an 11-8 record. SFU earned its fifth straight winning season and finished fourth at the NEC Championships. SFU finished first at both the Colgate Fall Classic and Northeast Catholic Invitational, earning wins over six opponents, including Boston College, at the Northeast Catholic Invitational. The win over Boston College in the only win over a Power 5 university in Saint Francis swimming history. Freshman Karilyn Quon had two Top Three finishes at the NEC Championships, placing third in the 500-yard Freestyle, with a time of 4:58.75, and 400-yard IM, with a school-record time of 4:24.95. Quon also broke a school-record in the 200-yard Backstroke, with a time of 2:02.35, to place fourth at the NEC Championships. Freshman Sabrina Bowman finished second at the NEC Championships in the 100-yard Butterfly, with a time of 56.13, while junior Katie Lafferty placed third in the 50-yard Freestyle, with a time of 23.37. SFU finished third in both the 200-yard Medley Relay (1:43.12) and 800-yard Freestyle Relay (7:29.74).
In 2016-2017, Coleman led the Red Flash to a program-record 11 dual-meet wins and an 11-8 record. SFU earned its fifth straight winning season and finished fourth at the NEC Championships. SFU finished first at both the Colgate Fall Classic and Northeast Catholic Invitational, earning wins over six opponents, including Boston College, at the Northeast Catholic Invitational. Freshman Karilyn Quon had two Top Three finishes at the NEC Championships, placing third in the 500-yard Freestyle, with a time of 4:58.75, and 400-yard IM, with a school-record time of 4:24.95. Quon also broke a school-record in the 200-yard Backstroke, with a time of 2:02.35, to place fourth at the NEC Championships. Freshman Sabrina Bowman finished second at the NEC Championships in the 100-yard Butterfly, with a time of 56.13, while junior Katie Lafferty placed third in the 50-yard Freestyle, with a time of 23.37. SFU finished third in both the 200-yard Medley Relay (1:43.12) and 800-yard Freestyle Relay (7:29.74).
The 2017-2018 season was the best of Coleman’s career at Saint Francis. The team went 10-7 on the season and the 6th straight winning season with a 3rd place finish at the NEC Championship meet. The team was also recognized by the College Swim Coaches Association of America with the highest overall GPA in college swimming in Spring Semester 2018 with a 3.81 team GPA. The season was highlighted with 3 swimmers being crowned champion of the NEC. Senior Katie Lafferty won the 50 yard freestyle with a time of 23.20 setting the SFU school record. Sophomore Sabrina Bowman won the 200 yard IM in 2:02.25, also setting an SFU record, while Karilyn Quon won the 400 yard IM setting a new SFU and NEC record with a winning time of 4:21.09. During the 2018 NEC Championship meet school records were also set by Sabrina Bowman in the 100 yard butterfly (54.77), Katie Lafferty in the 100 yard backstroke (55.42) and 100 yard freestyle (50.39). The 2018 NEC championship saw all 18 competitors for Saint Francis score points in the meet with 13 total podium finishes for the team.
Coleman spent the 2018-2019 and part of the 2019-2020 season assisting the Central Cambria High School swim team.
Rory and his wife live in Ebensburg and have two daughters, who are proud to be Hellbenders!
