Less than a month after coach Matt Ense resigned, the DePauw women's swimming and diving program has found a new head coach to lead their team.
Ben Hewitt, the assistant men's and women's swimming coach at Nova Souteastern University for the past three seasons, was hired by the University last Saturday. Hewitt has close ties to Indiana's Division III athletics-- his alma mater is Wabash College, where he was captain of the swimming and diving team.
After graduating in 2005, Hewitt held assistant coach positions at Wabash, Kenyon College, and Nova Southeastern. He saw success with all three programs, including helping the Kenyon men's team to their 28th NCAA Division III title.
Athletic Director Stevie-Baker Watson thinks he will greatly contribute to DePauw's shifting program.
"I think on paper, he was someone who had experience at a small school. He did a great job making it clear that DePauw was a place he wanted to be," Baker-Watson said. "He was very flexible to the idea that the team's gone through sudden change, and realized he needed to listen to the student athletes."
The swimmers reported to their first practice under their new coach last Monday, where they completed drill work, basic yardage, and speed and endurance training.
"We were scared, we weren't sure what he would make us do," sophomore Cory Hall said. "It was like a blind date. But it worked out well... I enjoyed it."
Since Ense's resignation, the team has had its practices conducted by team captains and recent Denison University graduate Alyssa Swanson.
The team kept its stride in preparation for their upcoming season despite not having a permanent coach until now. Senior Allison Kirby admits that while running practice without a traditional head coach was difficult, the past month has been as good of a transition as possible.
Ense, who led last year's team to a 27th place tie in the NCAA Division III Championships, is currently an assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati. Swimmers who had the opportunity to be coached by Ense praised the Cincinnati native for the positive attitude he brought to the program.
"Ense knew his stuff about swimming and was super enthusiastic about it," Hall said. "He made me excited for the sport... He had a way of opening conversations in a funny way. I am going to miss that."
The players do see some striking similarities between Ense and Hewitt.
"I think the athletic program did a good job," Kirby said. "We got a coach within three weeks. I think that's great, considering the time of the year it is."
Kirby was one of the captains that joined Baker-Watson in interviewing potential candidates before they arrived on campus. Once candidates visited the University, the entire swimming team interviewed them. Despite the now resolved coaching debacle, and housing 14 first-year swimmers, the program has high expectations for the upcoming season.
Kirby, Hall, and junior Emily Weber all have one overarching goal - to get more girls to nationals. Last March, Weber joined then first-year Caroline Bridges and Nicole Rossillo '13 to a 3:28.84 time in the NCAA 400-yard freestyle relay, breaking their own school record by almost 1.5 seconds.
Furthermore, the team sees longevity in Hewitt's head coaching position.
"Ben [Hewitt] has expressed that he wants to be here long term," Weber sid about her new coach. "The goals he has can't happen in one year.. they happen in 10. Its different this year. He has committed to making this program grow to where we know it can be.
As for the near future, Hewitt will have his first official contest as Tigers head coach on October 26. The team travels to West Lafayette for the Indiana Intercollegiates.