New Trier Aquatics in Winnetka, Illinois has announced the hiring of Chris Wolford as the club’s new head coach. Wolford takes over the position from Patrick Henry, who filled in as interim head coach from November 2021 to March 2022.
Henry in turn took over from Alexis Keto, who left the club last year to build her new company, Streamline Teams, a coaching mentorship program. Keto had been the head coach at New Trier since October 2016.
Wolford most recently was the head coach at Carolina Aquatics in South Carolina since April 2020. Before that, he served as the Sports Performance Director for the South Carolina Swimming LSC.
In his time with South Carolina Swimming, Wolford advised clubs on training and administrative issues, designed and ran the state’s select camps for its top swimmers and consulted with the LSC on policies and programs to improve competitiveness.
From 2000 to 2017, he spent 17 years with the famed Cincinnati Marlins in Ohio as head coach and CEO. That made him the longest-tenured head coach at the club that was established in 1961 that was home to more than a dozen World Record holders and Olympians in the 1970s and 1980s.
He oversaw a significant growth in the Marlins from about 170 swimmers in 2000 to over 500 members, including water polo, when he left.
He also had prior stops as head coach at Greater Toledo Aquatic Club, and as head coach at St. Francis de Sales High School.
Wolford will officially begin his new role on April 1, 2022.
“I am very excited to lead New Trier Aquatics. The coaches, families and pools that have made this club so successful will provide a strong foundation as we grow and reach for higher levels of performance. I am eager for the entire team to work together to make New Trier Aquatics the premier club in the area and a model for both swimming and water polo success nation-wide.”
New Trier Aquatics is a USA Swimming bronze medal club, honoring member clubs that rank among the top 200 in the United States, which represents about the top 6.5% of USA Swimming member clubs.
Among the club’s best-known alumni are CSCAA All-Americans in NCAA Division I swimming Kyle Bubolz (Northwestern), Reed Malone (USC), Sam Metz (Cal), Betsy Webb (Stanford), and Charlie Scheinfield (Texas), all of whom still hold club records, plus 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medalist Conor Dwyer.
Wofford’s former club, Carolina Aquatics, has not announced its new head coach.
Carolina Aquatics recently posted on their Instagram page that former University of South Carolina assistant and former South Carolina Swim Club head coach Pam Swander will be their new head coach.
I wish the best for Chris and his family in this new chapter of life.
Welcome to Illinois Swimming, Chris Wolford! So happy to have another Miami swim alum nearby!