Lance Asti Steps Down as Tennessee Associate Head Coach

Photo Courtesy: Tennessee Swimming Twitter (@Vol_Swim)

Lance Asti has stepped down as the associated head coach of the Tennessee swimming and diving program, the university announced Tuesday.

Asti spent nine seasons with the Volunteers. He is moving on to “pursue outside professional interests.” His resignation is effective April 30.

Asti’s work has been focused primarily on the sprint groups, leading the way to 21 SEC sprint titles, four NCAA relay crowns and four NCAA runner-up relays. Asti’s protégés include Kyle DeCoursey, the school’s first sub-19-second sprinter in the 50 and first sub-42 100 freestyler, and 100 butterfly record-holder Ryan Coetzee.

“I am incredibly grateful to Matt (Kredich, director of swimming and diving), associate AD Dara Worrell and all of our senior administrators for their support throughout my time here at Tennessee,” Asti said in a team statement. “Being able to coach at my alma mater for the last nine years has been a dream come true. Tennessee is in my blood and it is certainly a bittersweet moment for me and my family. I have been blessed in my time here and have so many incredible memories. I will forever cherish seeing our Vols and Lady Vols succeed at the highest level. Having so many of our athletes compete and succeed in the Olympics, world championships and on the national stage is what drove me through my coaching career.

“Watching these young men and women grow from young kids into adults, seeing them graduate and lead successful lives and watching them pursue really big and exciting goals brings me great joy and will be something I miss dearly. In this next phase of life, I am excited to shift more of my priorities to my family and spend time with my children before they go off to college. It’s amazing how quickly they have grown and I don’t want to miss these last few years we have together.”

Asti served as a volunteer assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at LSU prior to returning to Knoxville in 2012. He also spent four seasons as the sprint coach and recruiting coordinator at Clemson. Asti is a Tennessee grad and honorable mention All-America in the pool as a Volunteer.

“It is certainly difficult to be losing Lance Asti as a coach,” Kredich said. “For four years as a swimmer, two decades as a coach and nine years as a coach at Tennessee, Lance personified the highest ideals of Tennessee Men’s Swimming and Diving. He has changed our team for the better in countless ways and helped us win a lot of races, meets and championships. We are excited for him as he takes his next steps in another career. We are thrilled that he’ll keep his family in Knoxville and still be around the team he loves.”

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