Brian Fazzino Named First Head Coach of Franklin Pierce Women’s Swimming Program

Brian Fazzino Named First Head Coach of Franklin Pierce Women’s Swimming Program

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 14, 2016

RINDGE, N.H. – Franklin Pierce Director of Athletics Bruce Kirsh has announced Brian Fazzino has been named the first-ever head coach of the University's women's swimming program. Fazzino has a total of four years of experience as a collegiate assistant coach at three institutions, and has spent time in all three NCAA divisions.

"I am very excited for the opportunity Franklin Pierce University has given me and my family,” said Fazzino. "I look forward to, and am very eager to, begin the challenge ahead of me of starting and building a team.”

Rindge will be the first collegiate head coaching stop for Fazzino, who comes to Franklin Pierce after spending time at a fellow Division II East Region institution. Most recently, he served as assistant swim coach at the University of Bridgeport, working under head coach Sean Raffile.

While at Bridgeport, Fazzino had a hand in coaching one national champion, nine individual All-Americans, six All-America relay squads, 16 NCAA Championships qualifiers and 35 conference champions.

In the classroom, he helped tutor one CoSIDA Academic All-America selection and helped both the men’s and women’s teams to academic accolades at the team level, from the College Swim Coaches Association of America. This past season, Fazzino was specifically responsible for working closely with the team’s distance swimmers.

"I will look to build a team with hardworking and caring individuals, who will be a great addition to Raven Nation,” Fazzino continued. “Our program will look to make both the student body and the school proud.”

Prior to his time at Bridgeport, Fazzino spent the 2011-12 campaign as an assistant at the University of Florida, under head coach Gregg Troy, who would go on to serve as head men’s coach for United State Swimming at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. In one season with the powerhouse Gators, Fazzino was able to assist in the coaching of one national champion, 20 All-Americans and 55 more All-America Honorable Mention student-athletes, as well as eight Southeast Conference champions. During his year at Florida, the men’s team placed eighth at the NCAA Championships, while the women took tenth. 

"I am excited to welcome coach Fazzino to the Athletic Department at Franklin Pierce University,” said Kirsh. "I believe his background and experience across varying levels of collegiate athletics make him a strong selection to guide the building of our women’s swimming program.”

Prior to Florida, Fazzino also spent one season at the Division III level, as an assistant coach at Wesleyan. While with the Cardinals, he assisted in coaching one All-American and three top-three finishers at the conference championship.

"I am very grateful for the opportunity to work at a school so dedicated to its athletics,” Fazzino added. "I am excited to be able to lead these young ladies and help develop them into women who will be prepared to leave Franklin Pierce ready for whatever challenges they pursue next.”

Fazzino is a 2007 graduate of Norwich University, with a degree in political science. He will spend the 2016-17 academic year recruiting for the Ravens, and laying the building blocks of a program which will begin competing in the Northeast-10 Conference in 2017-18.

ABOUT THE NORTHEAST-10
The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 15 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,000 student-athletes. 

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.