Swimming & Diving
- Title:
- Assistant Swimming Coach
- Email:
- estefanski@uncaa.unc.edu
- Phone:
- 966-1900
Eric Stefanski is now in his sixth year as an assistant coach at the University of North Carolina. He serves as the primary sprint coach for the Carolina swimming program and oversees UNC meet management.
During the 2011-12 school year, Stefanski oversaw the swimmers in his group to new heights in Carolina swimming history. The Tar Heel men's team finished 14th nationally, the first time it has posted three straight Top 15 finishes since 1956-58, and the UNC women were 19th, their best finish since 2003. A total of 48 UNC swimmers qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials and UNC swimmers set 24 different records, including 14 school records at the short course and long course distances.
Stefanski tutored a group of swimmers which helped the UNC men score in four relays at the NCAA Championships. Senior sprinter Steve Cebertowicz finished sixth at the NCAA Championships in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyles, the first time a UNC sprinter has scored in both events at the national meet since Pete Worthen in 1965. Both Cebertowicz and sophomore Kyle Ficker earned All-ACC honors and they finished 2-3 in the 50-yard freestyle at the ACC Championships. Cebertowicz set school records in both the 50-yard and 50-meter freestyles and the 200-yard freestyle relay team also established a University mark.
The 2010-11 swimming year was a banner one in Stefanski's coaching career. He served as the manager for Team USA at the 2011 World University Games in Shenzhen, China, an event where two Tar Heels brought home bronze medals. Just two weeks prior to that he was the head coach for Jamaica at the 2011 World Swimming Championships in Shanghai, China. One of his protégés, Brad Hamilton, a 2012 UNC graduate, broke the Jamaican national record in the 100-meter butterfly at that event.
During the 2010-11 collegiate season, Stefanski trained four All-America swimmers - Steve Cebertowicz, Tommy Wyher, Brock Park and Rebecca Kane. Cebertowicz and Wyher won ACC titles that year in the 100 free and 100 back, respectively. It was Wyher's fourth straight ACC crown in the 100 back. Cebertowicz also set UNC records during the year in the 50-yard free, 100-yard free and 100-meter free events, breaking his own existing marks in all three events.
In 2009-10, Wyher won a pair of ACC championships and the Tar Heels' 200-yard medley relay won the ACC men's championship for the first time in 14 years. Overall, Carolina set six school records in sprint relays while Wyher set two ACC records and Cebertowicz equaled the University standard in the 50-yard freestyle. Five sprinters earned All-Americas that season.
In 2008-09, Wyher was the ACC champion and broke conference records in both the 100 fly and 100 back. Stefanski also coached Brad Hamilton who competed at 2009 World Championships in Rome, representing Jamaica, and sprinter Steve Cebertowicz, who broke the school record in the 100-yard and 100-meter freestyles.
In Stefanski's first season as the sprint coach for Carolina, he was a part of the Carolina staff that sent 27 Tar Heels to the Olympic Trials in June 2008.
Head coach Rich DeSelm added Stefanski as an assistant coach in 2007. A University of Pittsburgh alumnus, Stefanski is also one of Carolina's chief recruiters and he oversees meet management for the Tar Heels.
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 U.S. Swimming race analysis team from 2004-2008.
Stefanski began his coaching career at the high school and U.S. Swimming club level in 1998. He entered the field immediately after earning a B.S. degree in psychology from Pitt in 1998. He went on to earn a M.S. degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in sports psychology from Georgia Southern University in 2002.
As a student-athlete for the Panthers, Stefanski was an NCAA qualifier and a 1998 Big East Conference individual champion. He was a two-year selection as Pitt's most valuable performer while also captaining the team. In April 1998, Stefanski earned Pittsburgh's Senior of Distinction Award from the athletic department, given to a few select athletes who exemplify greatness in Pitt athletics. Individually, he competed in four events at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials.
From 2004-07, Stefanski coached at his alma mater as an assistant coach and coordinator of men's recruiting. While at Pitt, he coached two women's NCAA qualifiers, five Big East Conference individual champions and seven U.S. Swimming National Championships qualifiers.
For one season, 2003-04, he garnered head coaching credentials at the University of Rochester where he simultaneously served as aquatics director. Stefanski had been an assistant coach at Rochester 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 as his team improved four spots in the conference meet from seventh place to third.
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.
