NEW PALTZ, N.Y. –
Bryan Christiansen, who previously served as a coach with Victor Swim Club in western New York, has been named the assistant swimming coach at the State University of New York at New Paltz, as announced Tuesday by the Department of Athletics, Wellness & Recreation.
"I am pleased to welcome Bryan to the New Paltz swimming family," head coach
Scott Whitbeck said. "Bryan is a strong stroke technician who will greatly aid our swimmers in maximizing their abilities. His background working with talented swimmers at the club and high school levels will bode well for the student-athletes he will coach at New Paltz."
Christiansen spent the past five years as a coach with Victor Swim Club, which won the 2015 Niagara LSC championship. While at Victor Swim Club, he developed dryland and strength & conditioning programs, managed meets and created seasonal and long-term athlete development plans. He also served as the head age group coach from 2011-13.
During the 2014-15 season, Christiansen served as the head junior varsity coach for the Penfield High School women's team, guiding the squad to a 8-1 dual-meet record while coaching one New York State meet qualifier.
He brings two seasons of college coaching experience, having worked as a volunteer assistant at the Rochester Institute of Technology from 2011-13. Christiansen broke into coaching in 2008 as an assistant coach with the Sea Dragons Swim Club.
Christiansen competed at Hiram College as an undergraduate from 2004-08, serving as team captain for three years and swimming a leg on the Terriers' program-record-setting 800 freestyle relay his senior season.
"I'm very excited to begin working with the New Paltz swimming program," Christiansen said. "I'm ecstatic to work with such a high caliber of student-athlete here at New Paltz, and I look forward to building upon the program's history of success."
Christiansen earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Hiram in 2008 and his Master of Science in communication & media technology from RIT in 2013.
