Courtesy: Bridgeport Athletics
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – University of Bridgeport’s Vice President of Athletics and Recreation Jay Moran is thrilled to announce the appointment of Evan Sholudko as the head coach of the newly restored men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs. Coach Sholudko brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success to UB and will be instrumental in building a competitive swimming and diving program.
“This is extremely exciting for Bridgeport Athletics and the reinvigoration of our swimming programs as we welcome Evan Sholudko as our new head coach,” said Moran. “Evan is a talented, experienced head coach who I believe can have success right away here at UB. He is a person who cares about the development of his student-athletes and understands the importance of collegiate athletics in the lives of young people. I am thrilled that he is joining our Purple Knight family.”
In three seasons coaching the Lewis University Flyers, Sholudko has coached 42 men and 39 women to All-GLVC honors. Under his guidance, both programs finished fourth at the 2024 GLVC Championships and matched their highest finishes in team history. The men and women have also achieved CSCAA Scholar All-America team honors each of the six semesters under his leadership. Along with 19 CSCAA Scholar All-American recipients, Sholudko was named the GLVC Coach of the Year at the 2023-2024 championships.
“I am very thankful to Jay Moran and the rest of the athletics staff for this opportunity to lead the rebuild of the University of Bridgeport program,” said Sholudko. “The administration and coaches have been incredibly welcoming and the support within the athletic department became evident during the interview process. I am ecstatic to return to the New England region and I can’t wait to get to work establishing a new level of success and tradition for our student-athletes. Go Purple Knights!”
Additional distinctions for Coach Sholudko at Lewis include coaching 23 All-Americans, who combined for 59 All-American honors, along with a combined 51 school records for the team and 84 NCAA consideration times (B Cuts). The Flyers had four individuals qualify for the NCAA Division II Championships in 2021-2022, seven individuals in 2022-2023, and, most recently, 15 this past spring (most in school history). Collectively, the men had their highest finish in history, coming in ninth overall at the 2024 NCAA Championships, while the women came in 26th.
“We are thrilled to have Evan Sholudko join our team and lead our swimming and diving programs,” said UB’s President Wilken. “His impressive track record and commitment to the holistic development of student-athletes align perfectly with our values at University of Bridgeport. We are confident that under his leadership, our swimming and diving teams will achieve great success in competition and foster a strong sense of community and excellence within our university.”
Sholudko swam collegiately for four years on the varsity team at the University of Massachusetts. He placed fourth in the 400-IM and seventh in the 1650-free at the 2013 Atlantic-10 Conference Championships. He then began his NCAA coaching career in 2016 as an assistant coach at Stevens Institute of Technology, where he helped lead the program to an Empire 8 Conference Championship in 2017.
Sholudko moved on to Assumption University, where he was named head men’s swim coach in 2018-19 and the assistant head women’s coach in 2017-2019, before serving two years as the head coach of the men’s and women’s swimming programs at Eastern Illinois University (EIU). At the time of hire, he was the youngest head coach in Division I collegiate swimming (25).
The Purple Knights officially begin competing in the fall of 2025. UB will seek associate membership in a conference to compete at the Division II level.
