Schnur takes over as full-time coach for M. and W. Swimming

Delran High School '98

Delran, N.J.

Mike Schnur, who served as Penn's interim coach this past season after the departure of Kathy Lawlor-Gilbert, was named the Quakers' full-time men's and women's swimming coach on April 13.

"[Being named head coach] is a great honor, and I'm really excited about the challenge ahead," Schnur said. "It's something I've been working for for a really long time."

Schnur served as assistant coach at Penn from 1991-1999 and stepped in as interim coach when Lawlor-Gilbert retired in September.

A 1988 Penn graduate who majored in American History, Schnur guided the Quakers men to a 7-5 record (4-5 in the EISL) this year -- a three-win improvement over 1998-99.

He also led the women to their first Ivy League win in 42 tries -- breaking an embarrassing, seven-year winless streak for Penn in the league. The Quakers ended up with two league victories and a 6-6 dual meet record -- their best in both categories since the 1989-1990 season.

Schnur, who was a four-year letterwinner for the Quakers, starred under Lawlor-Gilbert in the mid-1980s. He captained the team as a senior and twice made the finals in the Eastern Seaboard 1,650-yard freestyle race.

"His experience as a student-athlete at Penn as well as his Ivy coaching background has prepared him to provide outstanding leadership for our athletes," Penn Athletic Director Steve Bilsky said in a statement released upon Schnur's hiring. "Everyone felt that Michael did an outstanding job serving as coach for the past year."

Schnur was chosen partially through the recommendations of a committee that included men's captain Blake Martin and women's captain Cathy Holland.

"I think it's great," Holland said. "Mike has been a fantastic assistant coach, and he was great as the interim coach this past year. The positivity he brings to the pool is unparalleled."

Schnur said that he will not alter his style of coaching, despite a change in his official status.

"I'm going to coach the same way I always have," Schnur said. "It's nice to have security, but I had that this year.

"It doesn't matter whether you're interim or head or assistant, coaching is coaching."

According to Schnur, the biggest benefit from his change in status is in recruiting, where he will no longer have the hindrance of a non-permanent status.

"No other coaches in the league can use that against us any more," Schnur said. "And believe me, they have done that this year."

While Schnur led Penn to improvements in dual meets this year, the Quakers still struggled in their biggest meets of the year. In the Easterns, the men's team finished ninth of 10 teams, while the women finished last in the eight-squad Ivy League Championship field.

"It's probably going to take us two, three, four years to get the program back to where we want it to be," Schnur said. "But I think next year we can have a program that's a real pride for everyone."

Prior to stepping down, Lawlor-Gilbert coached Penn for 17 years, guiding the men's program to a 65-118 record and the women's program to a 115-124 mark.

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