LITTLE ROCK, Ark.?Olympic gold medalist John Hargis is named UALR head swim coach after a stint as the assistant coach this spring. Hargis is replacing Richard Turner who after 24 years of coaching at UALR will continue to serve as the Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance.
“We are extremely fortunate to have someone of John's qualifications involved in our program,” said Turner. “No one has achieved at such a high level in the state of Arkansas in swimming.”
A native of Little Rock, Ark., Hargis enters his first head coaching position after coaching stints at Penn State, where he coached NCAA Qualifiers, Olympians, and Senior National Qualifiers as well as helped lead the women's team to the 2005 Big Ten Championship, and the University of Nevada, where he coached the Mountain West Conference Male Swimmer of the Year.
The Arkansas Swimming Hall of Fame inductee won the 100 butterfly at the 1996 Olympic trials and competed for the United States at the Olympics in Atlanta, Ga. He was a member of the 400 medley relay team that won the gold medal.
A three-time Southeastern Conference 100 butterfly champion and 12-time college All-American, Hargis competed at Auburn University where he holds the SEC 100 butterfly record.
Hargis graduated from Auburn in 1999 with his Bachelor of Science degree in Health Promotion and Sports Management.
Hargis resides in Little Rock, Ark. with his wife Lauren who is the Assistant Athletic Trainer at UALR. They are expecting their first child this summer.
SWIMMING ACHIEVEMENTS
· Selected as one of Arkansas's 100 Greatest Athletes
· Nominated for Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2001
· Inducted into Arkansas Swimming Hall of Fame in 2001
· Member of World Championship Swim Team, 1998
· Member of World Championship Silver Medalist 400 Medley Relay Team, 1998
· Member of National Championship Swim Team, 1997
· Captain of 1997 National Championship Swim Team
· Member of 200 Medley Relay Team that broke the NCAA, US Open, and Meet Record, 1997
· Member of 400 Medley Relay Team that won the National Title, 1997
· Member of the United States Pan Pacific Swim Team, 1997
· Who's Who Among America's Colleges and Universities, 1997
· Member of Olympic Team, 1996
· Member of Olympic Gold Medalist 400 Medley Relay Team, 1996
· Won the 100 butterfly at the Olympic Trials, 1996
· Three-time SEC 100 butterfly Champion
· SEC 100 butterfly record holder
· 12-time College All-American
· Four-time Arkansas Swimmer of the Year
· Olympic Festival 100 butterfly Champion, 1993
· Five-time Arkansas State Champion, three butterfly and two backstroke
