LAWRENCEVILLE -- Stephen Fletcher is returning to Rider University as the new head coach of the men's and women's swimming & diving teams, Rider Director of Athletics Curt Blake announced.
Fletcher, who served as an assistant coach at Rider from 1992 to 1997, has been the head coach and aquatics director at Franklin & Marshall College since 1998.
"Steve is an excellent addition to our coaching staff," said Blake. "His knowledge of Rider and experience as an assistant and head coach will provide continued and increased success to the program."
At Franklin & Marshall, Fletcher coached five NCAA All-Americans, guided his swimmers to 13 school records and six Centennial Conference records, and led his men's team to its first conference championship in 35 years. Both his men's and women's teams were honored as Academic All-America squads for five consecutive semesters.
"It feels like I'm coming home," Fletcher said. "I'm hoping to continue the competitive success of the women's program and restore the championship tradition with the men's program here at Rider."
A 1992 graduate of Lafayette College, where he was a varsity swimmer and team record holder, Fletcher earned his master's degree at Rider in 1995, and was the assistant swim coach for five years. Fletcher was an assistant coach at Rutgers before moving on to Franklin & Marshall.
Fletcher replaces Jeff Lowe, who served as interim head coach since December, and guided the Rider women to their first ever conference championship and the first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship for a Rider women's team. Lowe took over for Brian Gordon, who relinquished his position of head coach to become an Assistant Director of Athletics at Rider.
"Brian and Jeff have run the program the right way, completely in the compliance with the University and NCAA rules and regulations, and I have every confidence that Steve will do an outstanding job and that his vast experience will lead to the continued success of the program," Blake said.