Sean Weddell has been named the second men’s and women’s swimming head coach of Lenoir-Rhyne University, Vice President for Athletics Kim Pate announced. Weddell comes to Hickory after eight years of head coaching experience at multiple levels across the region.
Weddell’s most recent coaching stop was at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, NC, where he started both the men’s and women’s swimming programs and served five seasons as the head coach. During his time at Lees-McRae, Weddell coached twelve individual conference champions in the Conference Carolinas.
“We have hired the perfect person to build on the strong foundation laid by Coach Paul Schiffel, who will inspire a bold and exciting vision for the future of our swimming programs,” said Pate. “I’m excited to welcome Sean and his wife, Mellissa, to our LR Family. “Coach Weddell brings a high level of coaching background, familiarity with our conference and region, and a genuine passion to develop student-athletes both in and out of the pool.”
In addition to success in the pool, the Bobcats also experienced tremendous achievement in the classroom as the men’s side posted a team GPA above 3.3, while the women’s team had an average GPA above 3.6. In the Fall 2021 semester, the Lees-McRae women’s program registered a 3.8 team GPA, which was the highest for Division II swimming.
“I am absolutely thrilled and deeply honored to accept the role of head swim coach at Lenoir-Rhyne University,” Weddell said. “My heartfelt gratitude goes out to President Whitt, Vice President for Athletics Kim Pate, and the entire screening committee for entrusting me with this incredible opportunity. Witnessing firsthand Lenoir-Rhyne University’s unwavering dedication to its student-athletes and community has been truly inspiring.”
Before his time with Lees-McRae, Weddell launched the men’s swim program at Limestone University while also serving as the women’s program’s head coach. During his two seasons in Gaffney, SC, he coached the first Division II female All-American in the school’s history.
Additionally, Weddell was the head coach of the men’s and women’s swimming programs at the University of Louisiana-Monroe. During his time with the Warhawks, Weddell led the men’s swim program to the No. 1 spot in the Collegeswimming.com mid-major rankings.
Before becoming a head coach, Weddell spent five years coaching as an assistant coach at the Division I level at three different programs. He got his start in coaching at Southern Illinois University, where he served as the assistant men’s coach for two seasons.
Following her time in Carbondale, Ill., Weddell was a one-year assistant of the women’s swim program at the University of Akron. While at Akron, he coached the first MAC swimming champion. He then made the jump to coaching in the SEC in an assistant role at Clemson University. While at Clemson, Weddell coached the first male NCAA qualifier, All-American, and ACC champion in fifteen years.
As a student-athlete, Weddell got started at Indian River Community College where he was an All-American swimmer in his two years with the program. After his couple of years at Fort Pierce, Fla., Weddell took his talents to the University of Kentucky, where he was a two-year swimmer in the Wildcats program.
Weddell earned his bachelors of arts degree in organizational communications from the University of Kentucky. Weddell is married to his wife, Melissa, and the couple are proud parents of their two labs, Bodee and Windee Lou.
“I want to extend a special thank you to Coach Schiffel for his remarkable contributions in shaping the program to its current success,” Weddell said. “I am excited to build upon this strong foundation and lead our talented swimmers to new heights. With passion and commitment, I am eager to empower and inspire our student-athletes both in and out of the pool. Go Bears!”
