Gerry Cournoyer

Gerry Cournoyer enters his 25th season at the helm of the Vermont swimming & diving program in 2024-25.

CAREER HONORS
• America East Coaching Staff of the Year (2007, 2009, 2016, 2024)
• ECAC Championship Co-Coach of the Year (2008)

Head Coach Gerry Cournoyer led the Catamounts to their first ever America East Championship in 2023-24. Cournoyer and staff were named the 2023-24 America East coaching staff of the year while earning eight All-Conference Team members. During the 2023-24 season Vermont finished 7-4 with a 1-1 conference record while earning victories at the NJIT Invite and Harold Anderson Invitational. At the 2024 America East Championship the Catamounts earned nine varsity records, seven first year records and earned four gold medals. Cournoyer also coached three America East All-Academic Team members. For the first time in program history Cournoyer helped lead the Catamounts to the CSCAA National Invitational where they finished 31st out of 60 teams.

The Catamounts claimed third at the 2023 America East Championship for the 11th straight season, highlighted by sophomore Jackie House setting a school record in the 100 freestyle with several other podium finishes. The combination of House, Hally Laney, Ella Church and Mina Poppas claimed All-Conference honors with a medal finish in the 800 freestyle relay. For the first time in program history the Catamounts earned Female Rookie Swimmer of the Meet (Natalie Schlemmer) and Most Outstanding Female Swimmer (House) of the meet at the 2023 America East Championship. Vermont earned six All-Conference honorees at the America East Championship. With House, Hally Laney and Mina Poppas the Catamounts earned three members on the America East All-Academic Team. The seven team wins were the most in the program since the 2014-15 season where they went 8-2.

The 2022-23 season saw the Catamounts place first in the Harold Anderson Invitational for the first time in program history. The Catamounts also set a program record earning first in the NJIT Invitational racking up 1348 points and finishing ahead of UMBC, NJIT and Saint Francis. At the 2022 America East Championship the Catamounts finished third for the 10th straight season, where they swept the 200, 400 and 800 freestyle relays. In the 200 and 400 freestyle relays the combination of Kira Parker, Jackie House, Cailin Campbell and Mina Poppas earned All-Conference honors claiming gold. Campbell, Ella Church, House and Poppas combined in the 800 freestyle relay to take home first. House, Poppas, Parker and Church each earned All-Conference honors, medaling in nine individual events. Kara Campbell also earned All-Conference honors in the 200 IM. Church set a Vermont Varsity record claiming gold in the 1650 freestyle on her way to All-Conference honors.

In 2022 Cournoyer also coached two All-ECAC members in Jackie House and Kira Parker, while placing 10th overall among 25 teams. House earned the All-ECAC honor in the 500 free while Parker earned the honor in the 100 free.

Cournoyer’s 2021-22 squad was also named a Scholar All-America Team for the spring of 2022. The Catamounts as a team maintained the best women’s GPA in the America East with a 3.62 in the spring semester.

At the 2021 America East Championship the Catamounts finished third for the ninth straight season, with a total of 613.5 just eight points out of second. That team was led by five All-Conference honorees and America East Champion Katie Rivers. Rivers took home gold in the 400 IM while Cailin Campbell, Kira Parker, and Mina Poppas all earned All-Conference honors. Emily Murphy also placed second in the one-meter diving competition where she earned All-Conference Honors.

Also, in the 2020-21 season Cournoyer’s Catamounts were named to the Scholar All-America Team by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA). The team maintained an overall GPA of 3.66 being one of four teams from the America East to be named to the Scholar All-America Team.

The Catamounts competed in the 2021 CSCAA National Collegiate Open Water Championship where they placed ninth among 22 competing teams. At the Open Water Championship, the Catamounts had four top 50 finishers, led by Mina Poppas who placed 31st.
The Catamounts claimed third place at the 2020 America East Championships, highlighted by the 200 free relay reclaiming the podium and several top finishes throughout the competition. Junior diver Emily Murphy earned team Athlete of the Year awards after placing third on the three-meter board to earn All-Conference honors. Murphy earned America East diver of the week honors four times in 2019-20.

Cournoyer led Vermont to its seventh straight third place finish at the 2019 America East Championships. Sierra Sexton earned All-Conference honors in the 50 freestyle and junior Sophia Smith earned the America East Elite 18 Award for her efforts in the pool and classroom.

In 2017-18, UVM closed the four-day America East Championships with 11 All-Conference performances and broke three school records. Senior Shannon Cowley broke her own varsity record to win individual gold in the 200 breaststroke. The Catamounts won the America East title in the 200 freestyle relay for the third straight year and were also victorious in the 400 free relay.

In 2016-17, Cournoyer led the team to its first 5-0 start since 2011-12 when the Catamounts began the year 7-0. For the second time in a three-year span, UVM broke the program record for total points at the America East Championships with 668. The Catamounts registered their fifth straight third place finish and broke four varsity records. UVM, which closed the year 6-1 overall and 3-0 against America East opponents, defended its conference title in the 200 free relay and posted six additional All-Conference performances from three swimmers.

The Catamounts closed the 2016 conference meet with 636.5 points and posted a total of eight All-Conference performances. Cournoyer and his staff were named the America East Coaching Staff of the Year for the first time since 2009 and the third time overall. Vermont also claimed its first-ever conference title in the 200 free relay with the team of Courtney Gray, Sarah Mantz, Kira Hancock, and Christa Weaver.

Four years ago, Cournoyer led the Catamounts to their best overall record (8-2) since the 1981-82 season and guided the team to third place at America East with a then program-record 662 team points. Three Catamounts collected All-Conference honors at the championships, and Andie Blaser and Maggie Preston each collected individual titles in the 100 fly and 3-meter dive, respectively.

In 2013-14, Cournoyer guided Vermont to a 7-7 overall record, which included a first-place finish at the six-team Terrier Invitational hosted by Boston University. Cournoyer collected his 100th career victory with the Catamounts following a sweep of a tri-meet with CCSU and Merrimack. At the America East Championships, the Catamounts scored the second-most points in program history (640) and tied for their best-ever finish. Christa Weaver and Ilsa Feierabend collected All-Conference honors at the championships.

In 2012-13, Cournoyer led the Catamounts to a 9-5 record and a third place finish at the conference championships, which tied their best in program history. Christa Weaver was named Most Outstanding Rookie at the meet, becoming just the second Catamount to win the award in the program's history. Chelsea Krisanda and Kailey Gardner also earned All-Conference honors at the championships.

Vermont finished with an 8-4 record in 2011-12 and earned a fourth place finish at the America East Championships. During the season, sophomore Claudia Etherington posted one of the top-10 fastest times in the 200 backstroke in the nation.
During the 2010-11 season, the Cats went 9-6 and posted their sixth straight season of nine wins or more. The Catamounts also ended the season receiving votes in the final CollegeSwimming.com Mid-Major Dual Meet Poll.

The Cats went 10-6 in 2009-10 as senior Molly MacMillan earned her third straight America East Championship in the 1,650 freestyle, while classmate Colleen Clark won the America East Coaches Award, which goes to the senior student-athlete each year who tallied the most points at the conference championship during their four years. MacMillan was second in the standings, only eight points behind her classmate.

Vermont went 9-4-1 in 2008-09 as the Catamounts had their best finish in school history at the America East Championship, with three individual champions and one relay championship, as well as breaking nearly every school record.

During his time at Vermont, Cournoyer has also coached a handful of athletes who have made their mark on the school’s record books. The Cats have broken all 21 varsity marks and reestablished three conference records at the league championship in the last five years.

Cournoyer took over the swimming program in 2000 and inherited a team that had only three combined wins in the five years prior to his arrival. He's been able to build up a winning tradition at UVM, and since 2003-04, he's led the Catamounts to at least seven wins in each season. Cournoyer is the only coach in program history to reach the 100-win plateau with the Catamounts.

A 1990 graduate of Norwich University, Cournoyer has made a name for himself in collegiate swimming as one of the top coaches in the East. Cournoyer came to UVM in the 2000 after serving as head coach of swimming & diving at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania for four years. His combined record at Lycoming was 71-42.

In his first year at Lycoming, Cournoyer was named MAC Women's Swimming and Diving Coach of the Year after directing the Warriors to a school-record 13 wins in 14 dual meets as well as the program's first-ever conference title.

Prior to his stint at Lycoming, Cournoyer was head coach of men's and women's swimming and diving at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts for two years. He led the Bridgewater men's team to an 11-0 record in his final season and an 11th-place finish in the 26-team New England Championships. His combined record at Bridgewater State was 33-14.

Cournoyer's final season at Bridgewater was highlighted by the women's team finishing 9-5 to post its first winning record in eight years. Prior to coming to Vermont, Cournoyer posted a combined record of 104-56 in his five seasons as a head coach.

A native of Cumberland, Rhode Island, Cournoyer was a letter winner in swimming at Norwich. He was selected to the Rhode Island Aquatic Hall of Fame Class of 2006 and earned his Masters in Education from UVM in 2009.