Will Schnur stay on top at Sheerr?

Swimmers want him to stay on The fate of Penn interim swimming coach Mike Schnur and of the Penn swimming program should be determined within the next two weeks or so, and it could be decided by as early as Thursday or Friday of this week. According to sources within the Penn Athletic Department, a decision on whether to retain Schnur or hire a new coach for the Quakers will come next week, if not later this week. One source indicated that whoever was hired would take the reins of both squads, representing no change from the way the program has been run under Schnur and his predecessor, Kathy Lawlor-Gilbert. Schnur, who led both the men's team and women's team to improved seasons in his one-year interim tenure, is considered in the running for the permanent position with several other candidates. "It'll be over real soon," Schnur said, adding that he felt he was treated fairly during the process and that he was happy with the way in which it proceeded. Penn women's captain Cathy Holland, who is on the coaching search committee, said that a decision would come within two to three weeks, and "maybe even sooner than that." Holland, along with junior Blake Martin, captain of the men's team, were both named to the committee charged with finding a permanent head coach. While she did not reveal which candidate she and Martin recommended to the rest of the committee, she did say that her and Martin's recommendation had been made. She also said that the committee will make a final recommendation to Penn Athletic Director Steve Bilsky. "We were there to give [them] the pulse of the team and the input from the team," Holland said of the reason she and Martin were selected to join the search. If this is so, then it is likely that Holland and Martin have recommended that Schnur be retained, as other swimmers on the team believe he should be. "I wouldn't know [who they recommended], but I can assume they've recommended that Mike Schnur stay," senior swimmer Nick Sheremeta said. "I think it should stay how it is, with Schnur as coach. He's been here for I don't know how many years now, and he knows the program pretty well. "It certainly has changed from last year, just the enthusiasm on the team, and I think the quality of swimming got better this year also?. I think it's a general consensus with everyone that they agree that Mike should be the coach. He's well liked by everyone, and he knows everyone real well. I don't think there's anyone who could object against [his hiring]." Schnur, who swam for Penn in the mid-1980s and had been a Penn assistant coach since the 1992 season, ascended to the interim head coach position in September in the wake of longtime coach Lawlor-Gilbert's shocking retirement announcement. Despite disappointing finishes at Easterns -- the men finished ninth out of 10 while the women finished last -- both teams experienced success last season under Schnur's tutelage. The men's team was competitive throughout its entire slate, going 7-5 (4-5 EISL) -- a marked improvement over the previous year's squad, which went 4-7 (2-7) under Lawlor-Gilbert. On the other side of the pool, the women's team experienced a veritable renaissance. They broke their notorious 42-meet Ivy losing streak by beating their first opponent of the year -- Cornell -- en route to two Ivy league victories.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.