Paige McCord, the head coach of the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams at Carson-Newman University, announced her resignation today “to pursue a job in the private sector and spend more time with her family.”
McCord was hired in October, 2012 as the first coach of the Eagles’ inaugural teams. In three short competitive seasons she has taken her teams to two NCAA championships and coached:
- 9 NCAA Division II All-Americans
- 16 NCAA Division II Honorable Mention All-American
- 2 Bluegrass Mountain Conference champions
- 59 All-BMC award winners
- the first NCAA Elite 90 Award in Carson-Newman history (given to Nancy Claire Smith at the 2016 NCAA DII banquet last week)
Jordan Taylor, a Graduate Assistant from Edinburgh, Scotland, will be interim coach while Athletic Director Allen Morgan conducts a nationwide search for McCord’s replacement. Ben Young, a former Eagle swimmer, will stay on staff, as will James Graves, a former Tennessee swimmer.
“I personally want to thank Paige in her leadership for the past the three years,” Carson-Newman Director of Athletics Allen Morgan said. “Beginning a program is a lot more detailed and setting the foundation she set far exceeded my expectations. Being ranked with our men’s and women’s program in three short years is exemplary and certainly Carson-Newman and I will forever be indebted to her hard work.”
McCord, who grew up in Morristown, Tennessee, earned her Masters degree in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University in Irvine, California, in 2013. Prior to Carson-Newman, she was the head coach for the Jefferson City Swim Club from 2007-2008 and coached for USA Swimming’s Fort Hood Dolphins in Texas and USA Swimming’s Columbus Hurricanes Master’s Triage Group. McCord’s husband, U.S. Army Captain Daniel McCord, was an assistant coach at Carson-Newman for the last three years; he has tendered his resignation as well.
Hate hearing this. Wish Paige well, but would rather see her stay!