| Bruce Marchionda |
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About Coach Marchionda:
As Bruce Marchionda enters the seventh year of his tenure at Clemson,
the Tiger Swimming and Diving program continues to be a consistent
force in the ACC. Both teams have recorded many significant wins,
broken numerous school records, and recorded a growing number of ACC
individual champions. Since 1994, the women's program has produced
four All-Americans, one Academic All-American, six ACC titles and 10
All-ACC perfomers while the men's program has had three ACC champions
and five All-ACC honorees.
The 1997 season culminated Marchionda's drive for a title as
he directed Clemson to the 1997 ACC Women's Championship, the Tigers'
first ACC title in swimming since 1989. The women's swimming and
diving team downed six-time defending champion North Carolina in its
own pool to pull off the victory.
Marchionda was named the ACC Coach of the Year in women's
swimming in 1997 behind the strong ACC Championship showing. Fourteen
different Lady Tigers were finalists at the conference championships,
and Clemson was ranked 23rd in the final regular season poll, the
school's highest showing since 1989.
The men own a combined record of 36-27, and the women are
43-19 under Marchionda. The win totals for both teams are the
highest ever by a Clemson swimming coach in the first six years of
service. Included in these totals is the combined record of 15-6 in
the men's and women's program in 1995-96, the Tigers' best combined
mark since 1988-89. This record included wins over South Carolina in
men's and women's competition in the same year for the first time
since 1988-89. The Tigers followed up that performance in 1996-97,
downing the Gamecocks in both men's and women's for the second
straight year.
Under Marchionda, the 1997-98 team broke seven Clemson
records. Four came on the individual side, as the fastest times in
Clemson swimming history were established in the men's 50 and 100
free, and 100 butterfly, along with the women's record in the 200
backstroke. The men's relay teams broke the Clemson record in the
200 medley, while the women's team set new records in the 200 and 400
free relays.
The Tigers continued to set more records during the 1998-99
and 1999-2000 campaigns. In 1999, eight records, including six
individual and two relay records, were broken. Jennifer Mihalik set
Tiger records in the 100 and 200 back at the ACC Championships, and
then-freshman Cami Sink set Tiger records in the 200 breaststroke,
200 IM and 400 IM at the Nike Cup. Alex Ioanovici set a new 50 free
record, while both the men's and women's 200 free relays broke the
school records. In 1999-2000, an additional two records fell. Mandy
Commons set a record in the 100 breast, and the womens' 200 free
relay broke the record set by the 1999 relay team. Overall, 17 of a
possible 40 school records have been established during Marchionda's
tenure.
Marchionda was named Clemson's head coach on June 25, 1994,
after serving as an assistant coach under former Tiger coach Jim
Sheridan. He is only the fourth coach in Clemson's swimming history.
As an assistant coach, Marchionda was in charge of working
with the middle distance events and strokers. He produced two
All-ACC performers, including then-freshman Tiffany Jones, who went
on to win the 100 and 200 backstroke titles at the 1994 ACC
Championships. He also coached T.J. Fry to a school record in the
200 breaststroke. Marchionda coordinated and implemented all the
mental training and nutritional programs for the Tiger swimmers.
Marchionda came to Clemson from Norfolk Academy in Norfolk,
VA, where he had served as both the men's and women's swimming coach
since 1980. The swimming program at Norfolk Academy was initiated
and implemented by Marchionda and quickly turned into a great
success, producing 20 high school All-Americans, seven Jr. National
Qualifiers, eight Academic All-Americans, and 81 individual state
high school champions. Under Marchionda's tenure, Norfolk captured
15 state championships, including an unprecedented 10 consecutive
titles by the men's team.
His high school career coaching record of 219-21 earned him
Virginia state and conference Coach-of-the-Year honors each year from
1987 through 1991. He was recognized by the swimming coaches of the
state of Virginia as the Swimming Coach-of-the-Decade and by the
Tidewater Swimming Conference as Coach-of-the-Year from 1987-1991.
A native of Aliquippa, PA, Marchionda earned a bachelor's
degree in biology, with a minor in chemistry from Westminister
College in 1979. While at Westminister, Marchionda earned six
All-America honors and was an Olympic-Trial Qualifier in 1980. He is
also a three-time Master Swimming All-American.
