Wesleyan Head Coach Peter Solomon Set to Retire at End of 2022-23 Season

Courtesy: Wesleyan Athletics

After 34 years of collegiate coaching, Wesleyan University’s Swimming & Diving Coach, Peter Solomon, has decided to retire after the conclusion of the 2022-23 season. Peter joined the Wesleyan staff in the fall of 2012 after coaching at both Middlebury College (1997-2011) and Amherst College (1993-1997). Prior to becoming a NESCAC Head Coach, Peter also served as an Assistant Coach at Providence College (1989-1991) and the University of Connecticut (1991-93). He also spent a year coaching at the University of Vermont (2011-2012) where he served as the Assistant Swim Coach and Director of Operations.

During his 29-year NESCAC tenure, Peter has been selected Conference Coach-of-the-Year 9 times (1995, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2017, 2019). While at Wesleyan, his recruiting efforts have doubled the size of the team in recent years with close to 40 men and 40 women on the 2022-2023 team roster. Additionally, he has been involved in fundraising efforts responsible for many of the recent facility improvements. Peter worked closely with contractors and Facility Management personnel during the pandemic to help complete a comprehensive renovation of the natatorium. These facility updates continue to keep The Webster Family Natatorium a premier aquatic complex in the NESCAC Conference and in the Northeast Region.

In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Peter teaches Physical Education classes (Beginning Swimming & Lifeguard Training) and hires and supervises the lifeguarding staff. Other university involvement includes serving as a Pre-Major Academic Advisor (2020-2022), and working on Wesleyan’s Smoke, Tobacco, & Vape-Free Policy Workgroup (2020-2022), as well as the university’s Alcohol and Othe Drug (AOD) Committee (2018-2021). He also serves as the Swim Lesson Program Coordinator on campus. In 2020, Peter finished up a 5-year term with the NCAA on their Swimming & Diving Rules Committee (2015-2020). What Peter will miss the most will be his day-to-day interactions with the swimmers and the relationships that he has enjoyed over the years with so many supportive parents and alumni who have become some of Peter’s closest friends over the years! Additionally, he will miss the camaraderie of his fellow NESCAC Coaches whom Peter feels are some of the most talented coaches in the country.

Some of the coaching accolades that Peter has amassed over the past 11 years at Wesleyan include coaching 9 NCAA Qualifiers and bringing 6 women to the 2019 NCAA Championships, Wesleyan’s largest National Swimming & Diving Team in the program’s history. That year, Wesleyan hosted the 2019 Women’s NESCAC Championship in one of the most amazing meets in Peter’s storied career, as swimmer-after-swimmer enjoyed personal best times which helped propel the Cardinals to a 6th place team finish, Wesleyan’s highest NESCAC team standing ever. In that same competition, Caroline Murphy (’20) won the 50 & 100-yard backstroke events and established the Conference Record in the 50-yard backstroke while setting the Championship Meet Record in the 100-yard backstroke. When all was said-and-done, 9 new school records were established and Wesleyan qualified 6 women for national championships.

In 2018, the national team of Zoe Kerrich (’18), Caroline Murphy (’20), Hannah O’Halloran (’20), and Grace Middleton (’20) became Wesleyan’s first relay team to qualify and final at the Division 3 NCAA Championships in over 2 decades. Their relay performance along with Caroline Murphy’s All-American accolades in the sprint backstroke events helped Wesleyan to a 17th place team finish at the NCAA Championships, Wesleyan’s highest national ranking.

During his years as the Head Coach at Middlebury College, Peter’s 2002 men’s team dethroned perennial NESCAC Champions, Williams College, to win the school’s first and only Swimming & Diving Conference Championship. In 2010, one of his swimmers, John Dillion, set an NCAA Div. III record in the 200 butterfly and took top honors in both the 100 and 200-yard butterfly. John became one of five different Middlebury athletes at Middlebury to win individual events at the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships. His Middlebury men’s team were consistently ranked in the top 10 during his tenure and placed as high as 5th in 1999. Never was the “Middlebury Magic” more on display than during the relays over his 14 years at the helm of the Middlebury College program as the Panthers mustered-up some impressive time drops to surprise more than one favored NESCAC opponent.

Amherst College was Peter’s first Head Coaching gig out of graduate school, an in 1994, his inaugural season, his men’s team pulled off the college’s first dual meet victory over Little III rival, Williams College. His women’s team compiled their own amazing feats, including a 6th place finish at the 1996 Div. III NCAA Championships.

In college, Peter attended North Carolina State University where he was a Team Captain his senior year, a 1980 Olympic Trials and 1980-81-82 NCAA Championship Qualifier. Coming out of high school, Peter earned All-American honors in the 100-yard backstroke and won the 1979 Junior National Championships with a national record in the 200-yard backstroke. Growing up and competing as an age-group swimmer in Rhode Island, Peter is proud to have been inducted into the RI Aquatic Hall of Fame in 1988. He feels fortunate to have been coached by some amazing coaches and role models, including Kenney Reall (East Provience High School Coach), Ellis Mayers (Seekonk Dolphins), Ed Reed (Brown University’s Men’s Head Coach and Owner of Little Rhody Aquatic Club), and John O’Neill (Providence College Head Coach and former Assistant Coach at Brown University). He owes his love of the sport and incentive to be a Swim Coach to these accomplished and talented coaches as well Bob Goldberg, the former Head Coach at the University of Connecticut, where Peter served as a Graduate Assistant. The years swimming for and coaching with these dedicated and influential mentors were instrumental in Peter’s development as an athlete, and eventually, as a college swim coach. However, one coach that Peter credits much of his coaching success to is Don Megerle, the former Head Men’s Swimming & Diving Coach at Tufts University for 33 years (1971-2004). Peter will continue to be eternally grateful that this legendary coach took him under his wing as a mentor and friend early in his coaching career.

In an attempt to pay things forward, Peter is quick to brag about some of his own Assistant Coaches over the years who have gone on to make their own marks in the coaching profession. His Assistant Coach while at Amherst College was Steve Jungbluth, a former swimmer at UMass Amherst. Steve went on to be an Assistant at the US Naval Academy, the Head Coach at Colgate University, and the Associate Head Coach at the University of Florida where he worked as the Head Sprint Coach for one of the fastest swimmers in the world, Caleb Dressell. While at Middlebury College, Peter was fortunate to hire and work with Tom Buzzell and Norma Leduc who helped coach and guide the team. Tom swam for the University of Pittsburg, and Norma handled many of the administrative duties for Peter. Their expertise, dedication, and loyalty to the program proved to be instrumental to the team’s success over the years.

Tony Bruno, an All-American swimmer from Springfield College, was Peter’s Assistant Coach at Wesleyan during his first season. Tony went on to be the Assistant at Iona College, the Head Coach at Fairfield University, and recently accepted the Head Coaching position at Towson University. While at Fairfield University, Tony enjoyed immediate success capturing the school’s first conference (MAAC) title in the program’s history, a feat that he would replicate the subsequent 3 years. Another former Wesleyan Assistant, Ethan Cooke, a SUNY New Paltz graduate and team captain, left Wesleyan four years ago and has served as the Assistant Coach at Bucknell University. Ethan recently was hired by Duke University as their new Assistant Swimming Coach. Caleb Treadwell, another New Paltz graduate, followed-up Ethan as Wesleyan’s Assistant Coach from 2018-2020 and has gone on to be Albion College’s Assistant Swim Coach in 2020-2021. He is now in his 2nd year as the Volunteer Assistant Coach at North Carolina State University, Peter’s alma mater.

Peter’s present Assistant Swimming Coaches include Seamus Trzewik-Quinn, a New Paltz, NY native and recent UMass graduate who specialized in backstroke. Seamus is in his 2nd year of his Internship and graduate school here at Wesleyan and is making a huge impact with the team’s sprint and lifting program as well as recruiting efforts. Schuyler Beeman is in his 2nd year as Wesleyan’s Assistant Coach and helps Seamus with the sprinting program. Schuyler was a 2010 graduate from Middlebury College and former NESCAC Champion and All-American sprinter for Peter. He is joined by Kim Georgiades and Galen Rinaldi who are also both in their 2nd year as Assistants. Kim helps coach the distance swimmers and Galen helps with the stroke and IM swimmers several days each week.

Not to be outdone by their swimming peers, Peter’s former Diving Coaches have also played a huge part in Peter’s success as a collegiate coach. Mandy Hixon, a former All-American diver from The Ohio State University played a heavy hand in hiring Peter in his first NESCAC Head Coaching position at Amherst College. Mandy’s divers were consistently NESCAC champions and NCAA finalists, and in 1990, she was selected the NCAA Diving Coach-of-the-Year.

Peter’s Diving Coach at Middlebury College, Lisa Gibbs, coached 2 NCAA Champions, Derek Chicarilli and Tessa Truex. Lisa was also selected as the 2006 NCAA Diving Coach of the Year, the year Derek won both the one-meter and 3-meter diving events. At Wesleyan, Peter has been fortunate to work with Diving Coaches Devon O’Nalty and Jessica Boni. Devon coached the Wesleyan divers for 9 years before moving on to be the Diving Coach at both Fairfield University and Williams College. At the 2022 Men’s NESCAC Championships, Devon won NESCAC Diving Coach of the Year honors. Jessica Boni is in her 4th year here at Wesleyan and brings a wealth of experience, and energy, as a Div. I diver at Clemson University and as a local club coach in Cheshire, CT.

Of course, none of Peter’s professional accomplishments over the years would have been possible without the support of his family. Once retired, Peter and his wife, Andrea, look to spend more time with their children, Shiloh, Ellie, and Luke, who are spread out across the country. Shiloh, 26, lives and works in LA. Ellie, 20, is a senior at Montana State University and studying Community Health, and Luke, 18, is in his freshman year at Christopher Newport University where he will play lacrosse for the Captains. Additionally, Peter and Andrea are avid hikers and cyclists who enjoy the mountains and exploring the world. As a former Ironman Triathlete, Peter hopes to get back into training in the pool, on the bike, and trail running. In 1995 Peter hiked the Appalachian Trail and in 2011 biked across the US to celebrate his 50th birthday. With plenty of adventures left on his bucket list, and a life birding list that is just shy of 500 species seen in North America, Peter will have no problem keeping busy in the years ahead.