Georgia Brings Jerry Champer Back to Coaching Staff; Hires Nate Rhoads

The men’s and women’s swimming & diving teams at the University of Georgia have both hired new assistant coaches – though one of them is much more familiar with the pooldeck at the Gabrielsen Natatorium.

Jerry Champer will join the women’s team as an assistant coach, while Nate Rhoads will join the men’s team in the same role.

Jerry Champer, who spent two decades on deck with Georgia under Jack Bauerle, retired as a coach at the end of 2021-2022 season when the team was split into separate men’s and women’s teams and stepped into a role as Director of Operations.

He will now return as an assistant coach (he previously spent 9 seasons as an associate head coach) under women’s team head coach Stefanie Moreno Williams.

“I am thrilled to announce Jerry’s return to our coaching staff,” Williams Moreno said. “For more than 20 years, Jerry has been a critical part of our program’s success and a valuable mentor in my coaching career. He will help our student-athletes achieve even greater success and continue their improvement as athletes and people. Today is an exciting day for our program as we welcome Jerry back!”

During Champer’s time in Athens, nearly every top butterfly performance in Georgia history was established, including Luca Urlando, Camden Murphy, and Chelsea Britt in the 100-yard butterfly, and Urlando, Gunnar Bentz, and Hali Flickinger in the 200. Mary DeScenza (2003-06), Gil Stovall (2008), and Mark Dylla (2011) all won NCAA championships under his tutelage. He also produced 25 SEC champions, including eight by DeScenza, during his watch.

On the international stage, butterfliers Flickinger, Stovall, and Bentz all represented the United States at the Olympic Games. Flickinger also won consecutive silver medals in the 200-meter butterfly at the FINA World Championships.

Prior to Georgia, Champer served as the head coach at Western Illinois from 1994-2001. He was named to the WIU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012 as the school’s winningest coach. He was named the Mid-Continent Conference Men’s Coach of the Year four times and Women’s Coach of the Year twice as he led the Leathernecks to five conference titles.

Champer earned Southern States Conference Men’s Coach of the Year honors in 1999 and 2000 after leading his team to conference titles. His 2001 men won the Midwest Championships title, and he was chosen as the Midwest Championships’ Coach of the Year. He was named the 1998 and 2001 Illinois Men’s University Division Coach of the Year.

Under Champer’s direction, Western Illinois produced 44 conference champions and 46 all-conference distinctions. One of his former pupils represented the country of Georgia in the 2000 Olympics.

Champer is a 1989 graduate of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where he was a four-year letterwinner, team captain (1987-88), and an All-American in 1987. Following graduation, he served as an assistant coach for the Eagles for two seasons before departing for Western Illinois.

Champer is married to former Georgia softball coach Lu Harris-Champer, who led the Bulldogs to five Women’s College World Series appearances during her career (2001-21). The Champers have three daughters: twins Emma and Jenna, and Mya.

While Champer is a long-time Bulldog coach, the men’s assistant hire Nate Rhoads is new to the program, though not to coaching or even coaching in the state of Georgia.

Rhoads has spent the last 7 seasons as the head coach at NAIA Brenau University, which is about 40 miles away from Athens in Gainesville, Georgia.

Before Brenau, Rhoads was an assistant coach at Gardner-Webb University for three seasons (2012-15), working primarily with the distance swimmers. His coaching career has also included multiple positions on club teams throughout the country, including Lakeside Aquatic Club (Texas), Quantico Devil Dolphins (Virginia), Baylor Swim Club (Tennessee), Jacobs Aquatic Club (Florida), and the Westside Silverfins (Arizona).

Rhoads graduated from Arizona State University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.

“Nate is an exceptional coach that brings great energy to our pool deck,” Men’s team head coach Neil Versfeld said. “We are excited to get going with him on our staff and working with our student-athletes. Our program is thrilled to welcome Nate. Go Dawgs!”

The two additions are allowed by new NCAA rules that allow single-gender men’s and women’s programs to have up to 4 coaches each (including the diving coach). The women’s staff, led by Moreno-Williams, includes assistant coach Fernando Rodriguez and Champer. The men’s staff, led by Versfeld, includes another new hire, associate head coach Michael Norment, and Rhoads. Chris Colwill is the diving coach for both programs.

Biographical information from Georgia Athletics contributed to this report.