Rebecca Weiland Announced as University of Alaska Fairbanks Associate Head Coach

Photo Courtesy: University of Alaska Fairbanks Athletics

On Monday, Alaska Nanooks swimming head coach Scott Lemley announced the addition of Rebecca Weiland to his staff, who will serve as the program’s first-ever associate head coach.

Weiland replaces the void left by former assistant coach Stacy Fiser and will work alongside Lemley throughout the upcoming 2018-19 season. Weiland becomes the first female to oversee the Alaska Nanooks women’s swim team in a head coaching capacity, as Lemley has served as the program’s head coach since it was resurrected in the fall of 2005.

“Rebecca’s athletic background is extensive and her deep, competitive experience will provide our swimmers with a great deal of wisdom,” Lemley said on Monday. “Her two academic degrees speak to a deep love for athletics and student development, qualities which are prized at UAF. I’m particularly excited at the prospect of a female head coach presiding over the women’s swim team for the first time in our program’s history.”

Last season, Weiland served as an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, an NCAA Division I program. While with the Badgers, Weiland help UW break 13 school records, five Big Ten Conference records, had three swimmers earn NCAA DI All-America statuses and three others be named All-America Honorable Mentions.

Weiland also assisted with constructing and implementing workouts and daily practice plans, while also maintaining the teams’ social media accounts, aided with recruiting and served as the teams’ academic liaison.

Prior to Wisconsin, Weiland was the assistant coach at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota from 2015-2017. Weiland oversaw more than 70 student-athletes on SCSU’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams while with the Huskies, eventually leading to a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championship title in 2017. Additionally, Weiland was with the Huskies while they broke 14 school records and one NSIC record, while eight female student-athletes qualified and competed at the NCAA DII Swimming and Diving National Championships in 2017.

In March of 2017, Weiland was selected as a recipient of the College Swimming Coaches Association of America’s (CSCAA) Jean Freeman Scholarship, an award for “exceptional contributions” by assistant coaches to emphasize “leadership, integrity, honesty, competitive attitude and personal graciousness.”

“A couple of years ago, Rebecca did such a great job as the assistant coach at St. Cloud State University, she was nominated for the Jean Freeman Scholarship, an award given to the top-six NCAA assistant coaches in the country each year,” Lemley continued. “Assistants from all three levels, Division I, II and III, can be nominated for this award. Rebecca was recognized in 2017 and it’s our good fortune she’s going to end up here this fall.”

Weiland was a four-year letter-winner for swimming at the University of Minnesota from 2011-2015. As a 13-time All-American swimming for the Gophers, Weiland racked up an impressive resume that included four B1G Ten Conference titles, four consecutive appearances at the NCAA DI Swimming and Diving National Championships and multiple B1G Ten Conference honors. Additionally, Weiland competed at the Olympic Trials in both 2012 and 2016.

Out of the pool and in the classroom, Weiland was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and a three-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar-Athlete.

Weiland graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sports management from Minnesota in 2015 and earned her master’s degree in college counseling and student development from St. Cloud State in May 2017.

The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Athletics. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.

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