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Assistant Coach: Eric Stefanski

Eric Stefanski begins his third year as the sprint coach for the Carolina swimming program this year. During his second season, Stefanski had a productive year with the Tar Heel sprinters. Sophomore Tommy Wyher was ACC champion and broke the ACC conference records in the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard backstroke. Wyher also broke the Carolina school record in the 100 and 200-yard backstrokes, the 100-yard butterfly and the 200 and 400-yard medley relays. Wyher was also a consolation finalist in the 100-meter butterfly at World Champ Trials this past summer in Indianapolis. Sophomore Rebecca Kane achieved All-ACC Honors as well finishing second in the 100-yard freestyle and third in the 50-yard freestyle. Both Tommy Wyher and Rebecca Kane also qualified for the 2009 NCAA championships last season. Stefanski also coached sophomore Brad Hamilton who competed at 2009 World Championships in Rome this past summer, representing Jamaica and sprinter Steve Cerbertowicz, who broke the school record in the 100-yard and 100-meter freestyles this past year.

In Stefanski's first season as the sprint coach for Carolina, three of his swimmers achieved All-ACC Honors at the ACC Championships. Freshman Tommy Wyher took first place in the 100-yard backstroke, senior Kelsey Morrissy finished second in the 100-yard freestyle and freshman Rebecca Kane finished third in the 50-yard freestyle. Morrissy qualified for 2008 NCAA Championships in the 100 & 200 Freestyles. Stefanski was also part of the Carolina staff that sent 27 Tar Heels to Olympic Trials in June 2008.

In 2007, Head Coach Rich DeSelm added a fifth full-time member to his coaching staff at UNC with the hiring of Eric Stefanski as an assistant coach. Stefanski, a University of Pittsburgh alumnus, joined DeSelm, diving coach Kevin Lawrence and assistant Mike Litzinger in comprising Carolina's largest full-time staff in the history of the program. Stefanski coaches the sprint group at Carolina, is one of Carolina's chief recruiters and oversees meet management.

Stefanski is a former head coach at the University of Rochester and assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh. He was a conference coach of the year winner in 2003 and was a member of the USA Swimming race analysis team from 2004-2008. Stefanski began his coaching career at the high school and USA Swimming Club level in 1998 and started his college coaching tenure in 2002. Stefanski entered the field immediately after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from the University of Pittsburgh in 1998. He went on to merit a Master of Science degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in sports psychology from Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Ga., in 2002.

As a Panther student-athlete, Stefanski was an NCAA Division I Championship qualifier and a 1998 Big East individual champion. He was a two-year selection as the Pitt team's Most Valuable Performer while also captaining the team from 1995-98. In April 1998, Stefanski earned the University of Pittsburgh's Senior of Distinction Award from the athletic department, given to a few select athletes from all sports who exemplify great Pitt athletics. Individually, he qualified and competed in four events at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials.

From 2004-2007 Stefanski coached at his alma mater, Pitt, as assistant coach and coordinator of men's recruiting. While at Pittsburgh, he coached two women's NCAA qualifiers, five Big East Conference individual champions, and seven USA Swimming National Championships qualifiers.

For one season, 2003-04, he garnered head coaching credentials at the University of Rochester (N.Y.) where he simultaneously served as aquatics director. Stefanski had been an assistant coach at the U of R for one season after arriving in 2002. During his time as head coach at Rochester, he was the UAA Conference Women's Coach of the Year in 2003-04 as his team improved four spots in the conference meet from seventh to third. Stefanski had a freshman swimmer qualify in two individual events for the 2004 Division III National Championships.

While earning his master's degree, Stefanski was a teaching assistant at GSU from 2000-02 while at the same time bulking up his experience level with a two-year gig as swimming coach of the Statesboro Bulloch County Sharks. Prior to going to Georgia Southern, he served a two-year coaching stint at the Seneca Valley Swim Club in Zelienople, Pa., and with the Seneca Valley School District.

"We are thrilled to add Eric Stefanski to our coaching staff at North Carolina. Eric brings a tremendous coaching knowledge and experience that has had an immediate impact on our program," DeSelm says.

"His recruiting skills have enhanced our efforts in that critical area and his additional background in sports psychology, video analysis and triathlon training will benefit all aspects of our aquatics program here at UNC," DeSelm explains.