Sean Schimmel Season 2024-25

Sean Schimmel enters his second year as associate head coach after joining the LSU staff prior to the start of the 2006-07 season. Schimmel serves as the Tigers’ recruiting coordinator by helping the team bring in top talent and improving upon its national ranking.

Schimmel, 38, made an immediate impact in 2007 when he helped guide five LSU swimmers to NCAA All-America honors on the men’s and women’s teams. The Tigers shattered nine school swimming records, including three by sophomore Julius Gloeckner. Both squads earned top-30 national finishes, and the women’s team earned its highest NCAA Championships’ finish since 2001 with 17th place.

In the spring of 2007, LSU continued its success when the Tigers signed one of the premiere recruiting classes in the nation thanks to Schimmel’s leadership and organization. The 14-member class featured numerous All-Americans, three international prospects and two highly touted Division I transfers who join the team this fall.

Before his arrival in Baton Rouge, Schimmel served as an assistant coach at Harvard for seven seasons where he was valuable recruiter and asset in attracting elite athletes for the Crimson.

The Ridgewood, N.J., native helped guide the Harvard men to four Eastern Intercollegiate Swim Conference championships, a 58-4 dual-meet record and NCAA top-25 finishes in five seasons. The Crimson’s highest NCAA finish during Schimmel’s tenure was 17th in 2002.

Under the tutelage of head coach Tim Murphy, Schimmel earned coaching experience in all events at the Ivy League school. Individually, his expertise led Harvard to 25 All-America honors — first team and honorable mention — and 12 Olympic Trial qualifiers during the 2000 and 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials. The Crimson also broke 14 school records during his tenure.

That expertise was exemplified when former Harvard standout John Cole took runner-up honors in the 1650 freestyle (14:39.71) at the 2002 NCAA Championships. Cole also placed third in the 500 free (4:16.91) finals. In 2006, David Cromwell received first-team All-America recognition with fourth-place finishes in the 100 and 200 backstroke with times of 46.76 and 1:41.83, respectively. Cromwell became the first EISL athlete to break the 47-second mark in the 100 back while finishing his career with seven All-America awards.

Schimmel joined the Crimson staff after serving as the head coach at the Crescenta-Canada YMCA in California from 1998-99. Several swimmers qualified for the YMCA National Championships during his two-year stint.

Schimmel swam at Southern Cal (1987-91) where he later received his bachelor’s degree of arts in communications in 1992. A prominent butterfly and freestyle swimmer, he qualified for the 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 100 and 200 fly.

Prior to enrolling at USC, Schimmel became a high school All-American in the 50 free and 100 fly and set several New Jersey state records as a member of the New Jersey Wave. Schimmel’s state-record clocking of 1:47.39 in the 200 fly still stands today. After graduation, he served as an assistant coach for the Wave from 1991-92.

Schimmel is married to the former Tricia Starr, and the couple has a three-year-old daughter, Peyton Lilly.

The Schimmel File
Born: Jan. 10, 1969 in New York, N.Y.
Wife: Tricia Starr Schimmel
Children: Peyton Lilly (3)
High School: Ridgewood High School; Ridgewood, N.J., 1987
College: Southern Cal, 1992; B.A. in Communications