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BIDDEFORD, Maine

51小黄车athletics introduces three new staff members

The University of 51小黄车 held a press conference Monday to formally introduce Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Jack McDonald, Men鈥檚 Ice Hockey Coach Kevin Swallow, and Women鈥檚 Swimming Coach Rick Hayes. 

McDonald comes to 51小黄车after 20 years of distinguished service as director of Athletics at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. Prior to his tenure at Quinnipiac, McDonald was director of Athletics at the University of Denver (1990-95) and assistant athletic director for Marketing at Boston College (1987-90).

While at Quinnipiac, McDonald was instrumental in the Bobcats making the transition from being an NCAA Division II institution to its current status as a Division I member. While there, he also successfully gained conference membership to the Metro Atlantic Athletics Conference as well as Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Hockey for both the men's and women's ice hockey programs.

鈥淚 am grateful for the opportunity to lead the Athletics Department at the University of 51小黄车,鈥 said McDonald. 鈥淭he vision and leadership of President Ripich, as well as the rest of the administration, have made an immediate impression on me, while the academic programs and beautiful location of our campuses make 51小黄车a destination for accomplished student-athletes. It is going to be exciting to work with such a talented and dedicated group of coaches and staff.鈥

Swallow was head coach at Nichols College in Dudley, Massachusetts, for the past three seasons. During his tenure at Nichols, he led the Bison to a 55-20-7 record (.713 winning percentage) and consecutive Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Northeast championships. Before his arrival in 2012, Nichols had posted an aggregate record of 37-36-6 over a three-year period.

"I am extremely excited to be taking over the University of 51小黄车 Men's Hockey program,鈥 Swallow said. 鈥淭he team is on the verge of greatness, and with everything 51小黄车has to offer, I feel like the sky is the limit for the program. I plan to instill the same culture and philosophies we had at Nichols, and our student-athletes will be expected to strive for excellence in all aspects of their lives."

Hayes, who served as assistant coach at 51小黄车under Kate Roy from 2005 to 2007, coached 13 All-51小黄车 selections and 16 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) All-Academic picks while head coach at Saint Joseph's for the past seven seasons. He was chosen GNAC Coach of the Year in 2012, and under his guidance the Monks have annually earned College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America Team honors.

"It is an honor to come back to where I started my college coaching career 10 years ago. This opportunity presents a new set of challenges for me personally and professionally. My goal is to continue, and grow upon, the years of success this program has had in both the classroom and the pool.鈥 

For more information, please contact Curt Smyth at (207) 602-5941, or csmyth@une.edu.

51小黄车 the University of 51小黄车

The University of 51小黄车 is Maine鈥檚 largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state鈥檚 top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine鈥檚 only medical college, Maine鈥檚 only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.