It was announced earlier today by Director of Athletics Jeff Martinez that Leslie Whittemore has resumed her previous role as the Head Swimming & Diving Coach at the University of Redlands, effective immediately.
After stepping away in 2010 and then rejoining the staff in a part-time capacity in 2013, she returns to full-time status in a familiar position of coaching while remaining the Bulldogs’ NCAA compliance and eligibility coordinator.
Whittemore fills the coaching vacancy left by Trevor Harp, who recently resigned in order to pursue coaching and teaching opportunities at the high-school level.
“I am thrilled to be back at the helm of my alma mater’s team. I have such fond memories of my past experiences with the Bulldogs. Trevor took the team I had so lovingly cared for to great heights. I thank him for his commitment and dedication the last five years. I can’t wait to see what the next chapter brings,” stated Whittemore.
Beyond her involvement with compliance and eligibility at Redlands, Whittemore has served as the Meet Director for the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s (SCIAC) Swimming & Diving Championships for the last three years. In this role, she coordinated the administrative responsibilities with the host institution in preparation for the four-day event and managed the meet with a friendly and knowledgeable presence on the deck.
Since originally stepping away in 2010, Whittemore also has worked in real estate, coached various youth sports, volunteered at her children’s school, and been a consistent supporter of Bulldog Athletics.
Whittemore first became the head coach of men’s and women’s swimming & diving in 1996. While under her direction, the men’s program won seven SCIAC titles, the women’s program captured three SCIAC titles, and neither team ever finished lower than third place in the final conference standings.
Her combined SCIAC dual-meet record over her first 14 seasons was 151–26. Whittemore also played an integral role in the development of many record-holders, All-Americans, and NCAA Championship qualifiers, as listed on www.goredlands.com.
In addition, Whittemore’s teams were consistently among Redlands’ top-performing academic programs and included three NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients and numerous Scholar All-Americans.
Outside of coaching, Whittemore previously served as a valuable asset to Bulldog Athletics and the SCIAC. She took on the role of Senior Woman Administrator from 1998 to 2006, and taught numerous Physical Education courses.
Highlighted by earning All-SCIAC recognition each year of her swimming career and twice garnering the distinction in water polo, Whittemore attended the University of Redlands as a successful dual-sport student-athlete. She finished her degree in Psychology and then went on to complete her master’s degree as the first aquatics graduate assistant in Redlands’ history.
“It is hard to find the words to describe my personal excitement and anticipation when Leslie told me she was ready to return to the coaching business,” stated Martinez. “She is a tremendous asset to our department and will, no doubt, pick up right where she left off by recruiting outstanding young men and women to the Bulldog swim & dive program. She will share her energy and commitment to ensure they have the best student-athlete experience possible, with one of her goals being to return the Bulldogs to the top of the SCIAC.”
Swimming news courtesy of University of Redlands Swimming & Diving.
(Go Stags!)