Jason Memont, who swam collegiately at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and enjoyed successful coaching stints at William & Mary and South Carolina, has been named the second UNCW swimming and diving coach in school history.
Memont, 36, has spent the last seven years with the Gamecocks, assisting Coach McGee Moody with all phases of the successful SEC program in Columbia. He takes over for veteran coach Dave Allen, who retired recently following a 37-year career that produced 16 Colonial Athletic Association championships, including three on the women’s side and an impressive string of 13 consecutive men’s titles spanning back to 2002.
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“I’d like to thank Jimmy Bass and the UNCW athletic department for this opportunity,” said Memont, a native of Groveland, Massachusetts. “I’m looking forward to following in Dave Allen’s footsteps and building on the success he had. I’d like to continue our winning tradition in the CAA and have an impact on the national scene.
“My time in the Colonial Athletic Association was very rewarding, so I’m excited about working with the great coaches in the conference and taking the next step in my coaching career.”
Memont was heavily involved with the day-to-day operations of the USC program, creating pool and dry land workouts and taper schedules, and planning off-season practices for distance and middle-distance swimmers.
“I’ve coached with Jason for 10 years and he’s been ready to become a head coach for a while,” said Moody. “Jason has the ability to read his student-athletes and relate to them on an individual level. He takes different approaches–he knows everyone is not the same. He’s very good at finding the strengths of his student-athletes.
“I think this is a great, great hire. Jason knows the CAA and what it takes to win in the conference. He’s been very loyal at each coaching stop and is more than prepared to take over his own program. This is the perfect fit for him.”
Memont has enjoyed tremendous success on the recruiting trail, luring 12 NCAA All-Americans to the USC program and coaching Gamecock standouts Michael Flach, Marwan El Kamash and Gerard Rodriguez to berths in international competition.
“The committee conducted a very thorough search and Jason emerged as the top choice,” said Jimmy Bass, UNCW’s athletic director. “We’re looking forward to continuing the tradition and success of the swimming program here at UNCW.”
Before joining the USC program, Memont spent three seasons with Moody at Colonial Athletic Association rival William & Mary. During his time in Williamsburg, the Tribe, with a non-scholarship program, featured an NCAA qualifier and captured the CAA women’s championship in 2007.
