Former MIAC All-America swimmer Chris Bateman will join the Tommies' men's and women's swimming and diving coaching staff for the 2012-2013 season, head coach Tom Hodgson announced.
A 2011 graduate of St. Olaf College, Bateman spent the past season as the Associate Men's and Women's Coach at Skidmore (N.Y.) College. Skidmore's teams combined to break 20 school records on their way to their most successful season in school history.
Bateman is very familiar with the MIAC after having been named conference swimmer of the year his senior year. In his four years at St. Olaf, he was an NCAA runner-up in the 400 IM and 11-time All-America honoree; a national Swimmer of the Week; a three-time conference Swimmer of the Week; and an 18-time All-Conference recipient. He holds four college records at St. Olaf and multiple pool records around the MIAC as well as the conference record in the 400 IM.
Bateman has coached clubs for four summers in his hometown of Naperville, Ill., and for the past school year in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Chris also worked as a coach-counselor at the Salo Swim Camp at University of Southern California and coached alongside the Assistant Olympic Coach Dave Salo and his coaching staff.
"Chris brings fantastic credentials to our program." said Head Coach Tom Hodgson. "Best of all, in my mind, he earned all of the many recognitions he holds. He was a good swimmer coming out of high school in Naperville, but worked very hard throughout his career to graduate as one of the finest swimmers in Division III."
Despite the fact that he is a 2011 graduate, Bateman brings impressive coaching background to St. Thomas's rapidly developing program, Hodgson noted.
"Chris has had excellent coaching role models in college, and his work with Dave Salo, one of the most respected coaches on the national scene, fits perfectly with the high level of training and attention to detail that we value at St. Thomas."