Lemley names Weiland as swimming's associate head coach
May 25, 2018
Alaska Nanook swimming head coach Scott Lemley announced the addition of Rebecca Weiland
as his associate head coach.
Weiland replaces the void left by former assistant coach Stacy Fiser and will work
alongside Lemley throughout the upcoming 2018-2019 season. Weiland becomes the first
woman to oversee the Alaska Nanooks women’s swim team in a head coaching capacity,
as Lemley has served as the program’s head coach since it was resurrected in fall
2005.
“Rebecca’s athletic background is extensive and her deep, competitive experience will
provide our swimmers with a great deal of wisdom,” Lemley said. “Her two academic
degrees speak to a deep love for athletics and student development, qualities which
are prized at UAF. I’m particularly excited at the prospect of a female head coach
presiding over the women’s swim team for the first time in our program’s history.”
Last season, Weiland served as an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s swimming
and diving teams at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, an NCAA Division I program.
While with the Badgers, Weiland help UW break 13 school records, five Big Ten Conference
records, had three swimmers earn NCAA DI All-America statuses and three others be
named All-America Honorable Mentions.
Weiland also assisted with constructing and implementing workouts and daily practice
plans, while also maintaining the teams’ social media accounts, aided with recruiting
and served as the teams’ academic liaison.
Prior to Wisconsin, Weiland was the assistant coach at St. Cloud State University
in Minnesota from 2015-2017. Weiland oversaw more than 70 student-athletes on SCSU’s
men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams while with the Huskies, eventually leading
to a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championship title in 2017. Additionally,
Weiland was with the Huskies while they broke 14 school records and one NSIC record,
while eight female student-athletes qualified and competed at the NCAA DII Swimming
and Diving National Championships in 2017.
In March 2017, Weiland was selected as a recipient of the College Swimming Coaches
Association of America’s (CSCAA) Jean Freeman Scholarship, an award for “exceptional
contributions” by assistant coaches to emphasize “leadership, integrity, honesty,
competitive attitude and personal graciousness.”
“A couple of years ago, Rebecca did such a great job as the assistant coach at St.
Cloud State University, she was nominated for the Jean Freeman Scholarship, an award
given to the top-six NCAA assistant coaches in the country each year,” Lemley continued.
“Assistants from all three levels, Division I, II and III, can be nominated for this
award. Rebecca was recognized in 2017 and it’s our good fortune she’s going to end
up here this fall.”
Weiland was a four-year letter-winner for swimming at the University of Minnesota
from 2011-2015. As a 13-time All-American swimming for the Gophers, Weiland racked
up an impressive resume that included four B1G Ten Conference titles, four consecutive
appearances at the NCAA DI Swimming and Diving National Championships and multiple
B1G Ten Conference honors. Additionally, Weiland competed at the Olympic Trials in
both 2012 and 2016.
Out of the pool and in the classroom, Weiland was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten
selection and a three-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar-Athlete.
Weiland graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sports management from Minnesota in
2015 and earned her master’s degree in college counseling and student development
from St. Cloud State in May 2017.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks swim team, follow @NanooksSwim on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks swim team page on Facebook.