Director of Athletics Michael Renwick announced the hiring of Brenda Skelley Straker as interim head coach for Trinity\u2019s men\u2019s and women\u2019s swimming and diving teams. Straker returned to coaching on November 1 after a 13-year absence, having served as head coach at Clarkson and the University of New Hampshire and most recently at Wesleyan from 1992 to 1999. She replaces Kristen Noone, who coached the Bantams for 14 seasons, with the last 13 as head coach. Noone remains the College\u2019s director of aquatics and physical education coordinator and takes on additional duties as compliance coordinator.<\/p>\n
Straker brings 15 years of head coaching experience at the collegiate level. She holds a bachelor\u2019s degree in public relations from Boston University, where she was a four-year varsity swimmer, and a master\u2019s degree in sport management from the University of Massachusetts. Straker coached men\u2019s and women\u2019s swimming and diving and women\u2019s tennis at Clarkson from 1985 to 1987 before moving on the University of New Hampshire, where she coached for five seasons and earned a New England Division I Men\u2019s Coach of the Year award in 1990.<\/p>\n
In 1992, Straker was hired as head men\u2019s and women\u2019s swimming and diving coach, director of aquatics, and associate professor of physical education at Wesleyan University. She coached the NESCAC rival through the 1998-99 season and was honored as New England Division II\/III Men\u2019s Coach of the Year once during her tenure at Wesleyan. She has also been the head swimming coach at Woodledge Pool and Tennis Club since 2008.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am thrilled to be back in the NESCAC as Trinity\u2019s coach,\u201d said Straker. \u201cI stepped away from coaching for family reasons, but the timing of this opportunity could not be better. The Trinity student-athletes have been welcoming and working extremely hard for me in the first two weeks of the season. I could not have expected more of a commitment from them, and I am really enjoying being back on the pool deck.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Director of Athletics Michael Renwick announced the hiring of Brenda Skelley Straker as interim head coach for Trinity\u2019s men\u2019s and women\u2019s swimming and diving teams. Straker returned to coaching on November 1 after a 13-year absence, having served as head … Continue reading