Courtesy: Rockhurst Athletics
Rockhurst University Director of Athletics Kristy Bayer announced today (Nov. 29) that Doug Schranck has been hired as the men’s and women’s swimming and diving head coach. Schranck will begin recruiting in December to get his first squads ready for the 2023-24 academic year.
Schranck has served as the assistant men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach at Drury University since 2015. He helped the Drury’s women’s team win five consecutive GLVC championships (2017-20, 2022) and four NCAA Division II runner-up finishes (2017-19 and 2021). He also helped guide the men’s squad to three GLVC titles (2016-17, 2021) and three NCAA runner-up finishes (2017, 2021-22).
“We are excited to have someone of Doug’s caliber lead our inaugural swimming and diving program,” Bayer said. “Doug has been an assistant coach at one of the top programs in the country, and he has worked under some of the nation’s best coaches. He knows what it takes to run a competitive and successful program.”
Schranck helped coached 14 NCAA individual champions and 68 NCAA All-Americans at Drury. He was the lead coach for the distance swimmers and was heavily involved in recruiting for the Panthers.
“Doug has a strong knowledge of our recruiting areas,” Bayer said. “He has great relationships with coaches in our geographical footprint, and he comes from a strong swimming background. He will be able to hit the ground running in filling our roster with not only high-performing athletes, but also great students.”
Schranck got his start in college coaching as a graduate assistant at Arizona State University in 2014. He coordinated on-campus recruiting visits as well as logistics for team travel for the Sun Devils’ swimming and diving program during his one year in Tempe, Arizona.
“We had an outstanding pool of applicants for this position. I want to thank the search committee for their tireless efforts during this process,” Bayer said. “Selecting a head coach for a new program is a very important decision. Doug has all the qualities we were looking for to lead the Hawks.”
Schranck received his undergraduate degree in finance and management with a minor in economics from Carthage College in 2012 and a master’s degree in integrative leadership from Drury in 2022. He set school records at Carthage in the 100 and 200 butterfly and was a two-time conference champion as well as a national qualifier in the 100 butterfly.
“I am honored to be given the opportunity to inaugurate Swimming and Diving at such a fine institution like Rockhurst,” Schranck said. “Kristy Bayer has shown great enthusiasm about the addition of the program. The GLVC is arguably the best conference in Division II for Swimming and Diving, and I look forward to our teams making the conference even more competitive.
“Drury assistant coaches have a successful track record of going off to lead their own nationally ranked programs. I am grateful to (Drury head coach) Brian Reynolds for the experience he enabled me to gain working with such a top-tier program. I am eager to start my own journey leading the team at Rockhurst.”
Courtesy: Drury Athletics
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Drury swimming & diving assistant coach Doug Schrank has been named the head coach at Rockhurst University. Schrank will start his duties at Rockhurst in December and will be the program’s inaugural head coach. Earlier this fall, Rockhurst announced the addition of men’s and women’s swimming & diving and will compete for the first time in the 2023-24 season.
“I’m extremely excited for Doug, and this is a great opportunity for him,” said Drury head coach Brian Reynolds. “He has done a magnificent job balancing coaching duties along with all the other things that go along with being an assistant coach that not everyone fully understands in doing what it takes to make a program run.”
Schrank started his eighth year at Drury as an assistant with the men’s and women’s programs this season. During his time on the DU staff, he helped the Panthers to four NCAA-II Runner-Up finishes in women’s swimming, four national runner-up finishes in men’s swimming, and a combined 10 Great Lakes Valley Conference championships. During his time at Drury, DU swimmers won 14 individual national titles and 68 earned All-America honors.
The Drury swim team returns to action on Friday when they travel to William Jewell for a men’s and women’s dual meet.
