Courtesy: Washington College Athletics
CHESTERTOWN, Md. – Washington College Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Thad Moore has elevated Philip Quick to head men’s and women’s swimming coach, it was announced today.
“We couldn’t be happier removing the interim title from Phil’s job description,” Moore stated. “He did a wonderful job leading both programs over the past year plus and we are looking forward to continued success moving forward.”
Quick, who was named the interim head coach in March of 2021, first came to the Eastern Shore when he was named assistant coach of the Washington College men’s and women’s swim teams during the summer of 2018. Quick swam at fellow Centennial Conference school Ursinus College and also has experience coaching at the high school and club levels.
“I would like to give a huge thank you to Thad Moore and Kim Lessard {Assistant Director of Athletics/Aquatics Director} for giving me a chance to lead this program the past two seasons as the interim coach and allowing me to earn this spot,” said Quick. “Our team went through a metamorphosis of growth and maturity during this time period and I am excited to see where the next generation of Washington College swimmers will take this team. The student-athletes, themselves, have seized an opportunity to create their own culture of unity, positivity, and a disciplined work ethic! My staff and I could not be prouder to lead this program to its next level. FLOCK ON!”
This past season, the men’s swimming team wrapped up a record-setting performance at the 2022 Centennial Conference Championship by setting eight school records. Rising senior Gage Mandrell (200 backstroke) and rising junior Benjamin Wilson (100 backstroke) both grabbed silver medals at the event.
The women’s team also performed extremely well as senior Teresa Draves grabbed the bronze medal in the 200 breaststroke and set a new school-record in the process. She also broke the school mark in the 400 individual medley and turned in Washington’s second-fastest time in the 200 individual medley.
While a student-athlete at Ursinus, Quick specialized in the individual medley and breaststroke, though he was often placed wherever needed in dual meets in order for the Bears to compete for a win. He also contributed in every relay event at the Centennial Conference Championships during his career and made the finals in every event he entered at those championships. He was the Bears’ representative on the Centennial Conference All-Sportsmanship Team as a senior and helped hold the school’s 200 freestyle relay record from his freshman year until it was broken after he graduated.
Quick, who earned a B.S. from Ursinus in 2013, began coaching in 2010 while he was still an undergraduate. While living in North Carolina, he spent four years coaching for Eastern Carolina Aquatics (ECA). During his final two years with ECA, he created the club’s newest satellite program on Camp Lejeune. At its peak, the team grew to 120 swimmers with short course, long course age group and senior state championship qualifiers, high school state qualifiers, and sectional qualifiers.
