Penn State Names Sean Schimmel Associate Head Coach (2024)

Sean Schimmel was announced as the new associate head coach of the swimming and diving program at Pennsylvania State University Thursday morning. He will be taking on the role alongside incoming head coach Hollie Bonewit-Cron.

Schimmel is coming to the Nittany Lions from the Miami University of Ohio, where he served as an assistant coach under Bonewit-Cron for the 2023-2024 season. Bonewit-Cron was named the new head coach at Penn State in late May, so Schimmel will be making the transition with her.

“Sean has a wealth of experience and knowledge at both the NCAA and international levels and I am thrilled he will be a part of the Nittany Lion family,” Bonewit-Cron said in the announcement. “I’m excited to continue working with him and to bring his enthusiasm and expertise to Penn State as we look towards a successful future.”

Schimmel has been coaching swimming for 25 years and has racked up a number of career highlights throughout his time on the pool deck.

During his time coaching with Bonewit-Cron at Miami University, Schimmel helped lead the men’s team to their fifth MAC Championship in the last six years, while the women’s team placed second at conference championships.

Prior to his stint at Miami, Schimmel was the associate head coach of Athens Bulldog Swim Club between 2016 and 2022, during which time he also worked as the volunteer assistant coach at the University of Georgia.

While coaching with the Georgia Bulldogs, he helped guide six athletes to qualify for the 202 U.S. Olympic team, with five of the individuals going on to earn medals for Team USA.

These six years also saw Schimmel work for the Cali Condors, a professional swimming club, and serve as a Team USA Lead Coach for the 2019 FINA Champions Series in Budapest.

Schimmel has held a number of other coaching positions over the years and led his athletes to great success. He was the head women’s swimming and diving coach at the University of Arkansas from 2012-2016, where he guided 13 All-American performances.

His first head coaching job was as the head men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach at the University of Maryland from 2008-2012, where the women’s team set 56 school records under his guidance. Schimmel was at the helm when the program was cut back in 2012.

Schimmel began his collegiate coaching career in 1999 at Harvard University, where he served as the men’s assistant coach for seven years. His boss in all seven of those seasons wasTim Murphy, the most recent head coach of the program whose contract was not renewed after last season.

In 2006, Schimmel took on the role of associate head coach for the men’s and women’s programs at Louisiana State University, before heading to Maryland after two seasons.

Schimmel’s first season as the associate head coach at Penn State will kick off during the 2024-2025 academic year.