Media Guide - North Carolina

Eric Stefanski begins
his third year as the
sprint coach for the Carolina
swimming program
this year. During his
second season, Stefanski
had a productive
year with the Tar Heel
sprinters. Sophomore
Tommy Wyher was ACC
champion and broke the
ACC conference
records in the 100-yard
butterfly and 100-yard backstroke. Wyher also
broke the Carolina school record in the 100 and
200-yard backstrokes, the 100-yard butterfly and
the 200 and 400-yard medley relays. Wyher was
also a consolation finalist in the 100-meter butterfly
at World Champ Trials this past summer in
Indianapolis. Sophomore Rebecca Kane
achieved All-ACC Honors as well finishing second
in the 100-yard freestyle and third in the 50yard
freestyle. Both Tommy Wyher and Rebecca
Kane also qualified for the 2009 NCAA championships
last season. Stefanski also coached
sophomore Brad Hamilton who competed at
2009 World Championships in Rome this past
summer, representing Jamaica and sprinter
Steve Cerbertowicz, who broke the school
record in the 100-yard and 100-meter freestyles
this past year.
In Stefanski’s first season as the sprint coach
for Carolina, three of his swimmers achieved All-
ACC Honors at the ACC Championships. Freshman
Tommy Wyher took first place in the
100-yard backstroke, senior Kelsey Morrissy finished
second in the 100-yard freestyle and freshman
Rebecca Kane finished third in the 50-yard
freestyle. Morrissy qualified for 2008 NCAA
Championships in the 100 & 200 Freestyles.
Stefanski was also part of the Carolina staff that
sent 27 Tar Heels to Olympic Trials in June 2008.
Carolina Swimming Carolina and Diving Swimming • Assistant and Diving Coach • 2009 Eric Schedule Stefanski
In 2007, Head Coach Rich DeSelm added a
fifth full-time member to his coaching staff at
UNC with the hiring of Eric Stefanski as an assistant
coach. Stefanski, a University of Pittsburgh
alumnus, joined DeSelm, diving coach Kevin
Lawrence and assistant Mike Litzinger in comprising
Carolina’s largest full-time staff in the history
of the program. Stefanski coaches the sprint
group at Carolina, is one of Carolina’s chief recruiters
and oversees meet management.
Stefanski is a former head coach at the University
of Rochester and assistant coach at the
University of Pittsburgh. He was a conference
coach of the year winner in 2003 and was a
member of the USA Swimming race analysis
team from 2004-2008.
Stefanski began his coaching career at the
high school and USA Swimming Club level in
1998 and started his college coaching tenure in
2002. Stefanski entered the field immediately
after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in
psychology from the University of Pittsburgh in
1998. He went on to merit a Master of Science
degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in sports
psychology from Georgia Southern University in
Statesboro, Ga., in 2002.
As a Panther student-athlete, Stefanski was
an NCAA Division I Championship qualifier and
a 1998 Big East individual champion. He was a
two-year selection as the Pitt team’s Most Valuable
Performer while also captaining the team
from 1995-98. In April 1998, Stefanski earned
the University of Pittsburgh’s Senior of Distinction
Award from the athletic department, given to
a few select athletes from all sports who exemplify
great Pitt athletics. Individually, he qualified
and competed in four events at the 2000 U.S.
Olympic Trials.
From 2004-2007 Stefanski coached at his
alma mater, Pitt, as assistant coach and coordinator
of men’s recruiting. While at Pittsburgh, he
coached two women’s NCAA qualifiers, five Big
East Conference individual champions, and
seven USA Swimming National Championships
qualifiers.
For one season, 2003-04, he garnered head
coaching credentials at the University of
Rochester (N.Y.) where he simultaneously
served as aquatics director. Stefanski had been
an assistant coach at the U of R for one season
after arriving in 2002. During his time as head
coach at Rochester, he was the UAA Conference
Women’s Coach of the Year in 2003-04 as his
team improved four spots in the conference meet
from seventh to third. Stefanski had a freshman
swimmer qualify in two individual events for the
2004 Division III National Championships.
While earning his master’s degree, Stefanski
was a teaching assistant at GSU from 2000-02
while at the same time bulking up his experience
level with a two-year gig as swimming coach of
the Statesboro Bulloch County Sharks. Prior to
going to Georgia Southern, he served a two-year
coaching stint at the Seneca Valley Swim Club
in Zelienople, Pa., and with the Seneca Valley
School District.
“We are thrilled to add Eric Stefanski to our
coaching staff at North Carolina. Eric brings a
tremendous coaching knowledge and experience
that has had an immediate impact on our
program,” DeSelm says.
“His recruiting skills have enhanced our efforts
in that critical area and his additional background
in sports psychology, video analysis and
triathlon training will benefit all aspects of our
aquatics program here at UNC,” DeSelm explains.
Carolina Swimming & Diving Staff Contact Information
Name, Position Phone Email
DeSelm, Rich - Head Swimming Coach 966-5340 richdeselm@uncaa.unc.edu
Lawrence, Kevin - Diving Coach 962-7261 uncdiving@uncaa.unc.edu
Litzinger, Michael - Assistant Coach 843-9275 mlitzinger@uncaa.unc.edu
Stefanski, Eric - Assistant Coach 966-1900 estefanski@uncaa.unc.edu
Quinn, Sean - Assistant Coach 962-1604 squinn23@uncaa.unc.edu
Woodruff, Ryan- NCAC Head Coach 962-1604 ryanw@uncaa.unc.edu
Garth, Christy - Assistant Coach 962-7262 cgarth@uncaa.unc.edu
2009-10 North Carolina Swimming and Diving Media Guide • Page 17