Craig Mallery announced as U of R Head Coach for Swimming & Diving

REDLANDS, Calif. -  It was announced on Friday by Director of Athletics Jeff Martinez that Craig Mallery has been named the Head Coach for Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving at the University of Redlands.

"We are excited to have someone of Craig's experience and national success join our staff," Martinez explained.  "His experience and expertise in the sport makes him a perfect fit for our program.  I am confident his student-athlete centered approach will be embraced by the young people in our programs.  Looking forward to seeing the positive impact he will have on our team and look forward to what the future holds under his guidance."  

Craig joins the Bulldogs after serving as the Head Women's Swimming Coach at the University of Jamestown.  There he developed a new NAIA women's swimming team, leading to the program's first NAIA National Champion.  Before that Mallery was the Head Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving Coach at Seattle University for 13 years.  There he coached the RedHawks to an NAIA national title and turned them into one of the premier programs in NCAA Division II.  He has also coached three individual national champions coming in the 200 Breast and 100 Fly.

In his first season with the program, he guided the men's team to a seventh-place finish at the 1998 NAIA Championships, then followed that with a third place men's team finish in 1999 which earned him national Coach of the Year honors.  During his time at Seattle University the men's swim team reached new heights in 2007 and 2008, finishing in ninth place at the 2007 Division II Championships and in eighth place during the 2008 national meet.

Then in 2000, the women's program joined the national spotlight as both teams placed third at the NAIA Championships and Mallery was honored with his second national Coach of the Year honor, this time for his work with the women's program. He followed that performance with an NAIA title for the men's team in 2002 while the women were runners-up. The national title for the men was just the second in any sport at Seattle University.     

In 2010, Mallery was named the Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference Coach of the Year on both the men's and women's side, following the team's best-ever finish at the conference championships. The 2009-10 season was capped with 13 conference titles, ending with a second-place finish for the men and a third-place finish for the women.  There were 21 new school records set between the men's and women's programs. 

As an NAIA program under Mallery, the men placed in the top seven all five of his seasons at the program including four straight top-three finishes, while the women cracked the top seven for four consecutive years with three straight top-three results.

Mallery was a four-year letterwinner at Boston University earning a B.S. in Business Administration, while setting the school record in the 50 freestyle. After graduating from Boston University in 1986, Mallery stayed on as an assistant coach for two seasons before making his way to SeattleU as the facilities and aquatics coordinator.  While at Seattle University he earned his Masters of Education in Student Development.

"I'm honored to be joining such a talented athletic staff in supporting the mission of the University of Redlands, arguably one of the finest higher education institutions in the West," Mallery stated.  "I have had the opportunity to develop collegiate teams to national level success, working with academically motivated student athletes who have gone into the world and made a difference.  I'm excited with the opportunity to develop the teams at the University of Redlands with a student centered approach contributing to each person's efforts in becoming their best selves as they strive for excellence in the classroom, the pool and life."