Courtesy: Army West Point Athletics
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Head swimming coach Brandt Nigro recently announced the addition of Kelly Lennon to his staff. In preparation for the 2021-22 season, Nigro named Lennon an assistant coach.
“Kelly offers a unique combination of experiences that will make an immediate impact on our cadet-athletes and our program as we continue to build something very special here,” Nigro said. “She brings instant energy to the pool deck and our dryland sessions and our team already loves working with her. Her experiences as both a student-athlete and collegiate coach are valuable, but it was her non-swimming experiences that really set her apart from the other applicants. I’m excited to work with her and help her grow as a coach. There’s no doubt our program is stronger with the addition of Kelly.”
Lennon comes to the banks of the Hudson after pursuing a master’s degree in sport administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During her time with the Tar Heels, she served as a graduate assistant of athletics administration, helped with the event management staff and worked as a graduate teaching assistant.
Prior to her stint in Chapel Hill, Lennon interned with the America East Conference for the 2018-19 competition year. She participated in calls with groups such as the student-athlete advisory committee advisors, business officers, senior women administrators and athletic directors. Additionally, she helped to plan and executive the America East Healthy and Safety Summit, assisted with expansion of the America East Alumni Network and helped to develop a rollout of the Better To9ether mental health initiative.
Lennon brings plenty of coaching experience to West Point, having served as an assistant at Merrimack College and an age group coach at SOLO Aquatics. She was a decorated student-athlete at the University of Vermont, where she swam from 2014-18. A three-time America East All-Conference honoree, she was named the America East nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year in 2018 and earned the UVM Athletic Department’s Jeff Stone Memorial Award during her senior season.
“Joining the coaching staff at Army has been nothing short of a dream come true,” Lennon said. “I can’t thank Brandt enough for giving me this opportunity, and I am eager to learn from and work alongside such talented and dedicated coaches and athletes. I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together as a team this season. Go Army, Beat Navy.”
In her role with the Black Knights, Lennon will primarily work with the distance freestyle swimmers. Beyond the pool deck, she will bring her experiences to help enhance the dryland program within the newly- updated Army West Point Swim & Dive Dryland/Crossfit Center. She currently resides in Highland Falls.
Congrats Kelly!! Well deserved.