A 1984 graduate of the University of Miami (Florida), head coach Joshua Willman began his coaching career just after graduation at the YMCA and U.S.A. Swimming level.  As an established age group and senior team coach, Willman cultivated nationally ranked swimmers, many of whom went on to world rankings.

In 1991, Willman made the transition to the collegiate level at the University of New Hampshire.  He first served as an assistant coach and was named head coach in 1992.  Under his caring hand, UNH’s swimming and diving program has erupted to the forefront of New England swimming and has become one of the premiere college programs on the east coast, bursting onto the national scene, recruiting top swimmers and divers from all over the world.

A number of milestones in particular have marked UNH’s steady rise to the top.  In 1995, Willman produced UNH’s first-ever NCAA Division I qualifier, Denise Leckenby. She later went on to earn All-America honors in 1996 and placed eighth in the 200-freestyle as well as 11th in the 100-freestyle earning UNH enough points to finish 27th in the nation at the 1996 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Building on the successes of the mid-90’s, the Wildcats then won their first America East Title in 1997-1998 (with a record 832.5 points that still stands today) and then repeated as conference champions in 1998-1999. Beginning the new era in 2000, New Hampshire native and breaststroke standout Kristen Zeimetz was a finalist at the U.S. Open and participated in the 2000 U.S. Olympic team trials. In 2003 the Wildcats won their first ECAC Championship team title and continued to place near the top at the America East Championships once again, as they won back-to-back America East titles in 2004-2005 and 2005-2006. New Hampshire continued to qualify swimmers for the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, as senior Shannon Daly and sophomore Kary Goodman both placed in the top 25 in the nation during the 2006 campaign. UNH completed the 2006 season ranked eighth nationally in the mid-major Division I Polls. Most recently, the Wildcats won the ECAC Championships in 2011 for the second time in school history, claiming the title by a 1.5 point margin, earning a first-place finish on the final event, taking the 400-yard freestyle relay in record setting fashion.

New Hampshire’s success has not gone unnoticed, as Willman has become the America East Conference’s most highly honored coach. He has been selected America East Coach of the Year 10 times in the past 18 years (1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2010 and 2011) and ECAC Coach of the Year twice (2003 and 2011). New Hampshire swimmers are the most highly decorated athletes in the America East, winning 31 major conference awards including 20 Swimmers of the Year (15 America East and 5 ECAC), five America East Scholar-Athlete of the Year, three Rookie of the Year and two Senior High Point Coaches awards. During Willman’s tenure, 329 swimmers have been crowned America East Champions and 98 have been named ECAC Champions. In total, Wildcat swimmers have broken over 221 school records, 73 America East records and 17 ECAC records.

New Hampshire is consistently an Academic All-America team and swimmers have earned NCAA Academic All-American honors, post-graduate scholarship awards and ranked as high as sixth nationally for grade point average. Willman is a certified ASCA Level IV coach and has been a recipient of the ASCA Coaching Excellence Award.

Jarrod Zwirko serves as recruiting coordinator and assistant coach, working with the middle-distance and distance freestyle group for the Wildcats. As recruiting coordinator, Zwirko is the main contact for recruits and identifies talented athletes and sets up official visits for potential student-athletes. 

A 2004 graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Zwirko was a two-year captain for the Wildcats, specializing in middle-distance and still holds two UNH records for relays. As a student-athlete he was an 11-time finalist at the America East Championships and was runner-up in the 500-yard freestyle in 2002, while also earning All-Conference honors twice. Zwirko also served as SAAC President as an undergraduate and was nominated for UNH Athlete of the Year twice.

Upon completion of his eligibility, Zwirko entered the graduate program at UNH and earned his Master’s Degree in Kinesiology. During this time, he served as the graduate assistant for the UNH swim team and was an integral part of the staff that twice earned Coaching Staff of the Year honors, after winning back-to-back America East Championship titles. During his last season, UNH took two women to the NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships.

After earning his Master’s degree, Zwirko joined the staff at the Williston Northampton School of western Massachusetts, his former prep school, in 2006. While at Williston, he served for two years as an English teacher and swim coach, helping the team win the New England Championships in the small school division.

Returning to UNH as a full-time assistant in 2008, Zwirko has been a part of two America East Women’s Coaching Staffs of the Year (2010 and 2011).

Tory McKenna enters her third season as the Wildcat’s Diving Coach. A two-time All-American and East National Championship qualifier in high school, McKenna earned her undergraduate degree from Syracuse University. While diving for the Orange, she was a Big East finalist in the 3-meter dive and a Zone A Qualifier from 2005-2007. Additionally, she set the Syracuse 1-meter record and the Villanova pool record in 2005. McKenna double majored to receive a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, while graduating summa cum laud.

Upon graduation from Syracuse University, McKenna came to New Hampshire and used her remaining year of eligibility to compete for the Wildcats as a graduate student. At the 2009 America East Championships, she placed third in the 1-meter dive and as a result was awarded the UNH swim team’s Coaches Award for her dedication, maturity and leadership qualities. McKenna earned her Master of Science in Speech Pathology from UNH in 2010, while conducting research for acquired brain injury patients.

McKenna began her coaching career at the Westford Swim and Tennis Club in 2001 and currently works with the New Hampshire based U.S.A. Diving Club and Charles River Diving North, where two of her divers won state titles in Division I and II in 2009. McKenna is also currently working for Peoplefirst Rehab in Maine.

Jared Felker joins the New Hampshire swimming and diving staff for his first season as a volunteer assistant coach. He brings a wealth of technical knowledge of the sport to the program and works primarily with the sprint and stroke groups. The Yarmouth, Maine native brings extensive experience both as a former swimmer and current head coach of the Seacoast Swimming Association, which is one of New England’s premier swim clubs.

As one of Maine’s top swimmers, Felker graduated from the Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania where he was a seven-time high school All-American. He went on to compete for the University of Virginia where he was a four-year varsity swimmer and team captain, earning All-ACC honors. Felker capped a stellar collegiate career as the 2000 ACC Champion in the 100 butterfly. He also competed in the 2000 US Olympic Trials in the 100 butterfly and 50 freestyle.

Upon graduation and earning a BA in Sociology from Virginia, Felker got his start coaching at St. Catherine McAuley High School in Portland, Maine and shortly thereafter was named head coach of the Westbrook Seals Swim Club in Westbrook, Maine, coaching the squad from 2003-2011.

In the summer of 2010, Felker was hired as the head coach of the Seacoast Swimming Association in Dover, N.H. In total, he has produced over 30 sectional qualifiers, four junior national qualifiers, and one senior national and Olympic trial qualifier.