Scott Whitbeck

Directing camp this summer is the head coach of the Nazareth College men's and women's swimming teams, Scott Whitbeck.

Scott Whitbeck, head coach at SUNY New Paltz for eight seasons, was named in May 2016 as head coach of the Nazareth College men's and women's swimming and diving teams. He completed his fifth season in 2020-21.

Under Whitbeck's direction, both the men's and women's teams at Nazareth have achieved unparalleled success. In 2019-20, the men's team won its first-ever Empire 8 Conference title while the women's team won the title for the third year in a row. The Golden Flyers combined to win 25 conference titles and were represented by the Swimmer of the Year in John Koch and the Divers of the Year in Allie Norwood and Sidney Taylor. Whitbeck was named Coach of the Year for both the men's and women's teams. It marked the third year in a row that he was named Coach of the Year on the women's side.

The Golden Flyers also had a pair of national qualifiers in Norwood and junior Taylor Robey, who has shattered most of Nazareth's sprint freestyle records. Both were named All-Americans after the NCAA meet was canceled due to the cononavirus pandemic.

In 2018-19, the women's team won the Empire 8 conference title and the men finished as runners up in the Empire 8 championship meet and three athletes -- Norwood, Robey and Seth Farrand -- competed at the NCAA Championships. The teams combined to win 15 E8 titles.

2017-18 also served as a banner season for both teams. The men's team, at 8-0, went unbeaten in dual meets for the first time ever. That included a home victory over Hartwick that snapped a 21-meet losing streak. The Golden Flyers also finished second at the conference meet and won seven titles.

Another program first saw Farrand break six school records on his way to becoming the Golden Flyers' first-ever male competitor at the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships. Farrand also was recognized as E8 Swimmer of the Year and E8 Rookie of the Year. All told, Nazareth broke 12 school records.

The women's team won its first-ever Empire 8 Conference title in a close dual with Stevens, outscoring the runner-up Ducks by 28 points. Whitbeck and his staff were recognized as E8 Coaching Staff of the Year. The women's team won five conference titles.

Both teams finished with 5-4 dual meet records in 2016-17 and placed seventh at the Upper New York State Championships. For the men's team, it was their first winning season since 1999-2000.

A native of Northville, Mich., Whitbeck enjoyed unparalleled success at New Paltz during his time there. The 2015-16 season was among the best in the school's history as both the men's and women's teams placed second at the SUNYAC Championships. For the men's team, it was the highest finish since a second-place result in 1994. The women's team also placed second in 2011 and Whitbeck was recognized as SUNYAC Coach of the Year.

At New Paltz, Whitbeck's swimmers won 46 conference titles in relays and individual events. His teams set school records in 17 of 19 women's events and 11 of 19 men's events. Six of his swimmers were recognized with either the James Fulton (men's) or Grace Mowatt (women's) award, a conference honor that recognizes academic and athletic achievement.

Whitbeck also guided five swimmers to the NCAA meet in 2013 and each earned honorable mention All-American honors.

Before landing at New Paltz, Whitbeck had assistant coaching stints at University of Massachusetts and at the College of Wooster. In two seasons at UMass, Whitbeck helped the men's team to two Atlantic 10 Conference titles and 12 school records. Among the highlights in his two seasons at Wooster was coaching Elizabeth Roesch to an NCAA title in the 1,650-yard freestyle.

Whitbeck also has experience as aquatics director at New Paltz and was the director of the New Paltz Elite Swim Camp for eight years.

Whitbeck excelled as a swimmer at Kalamazoo College in Michigan, where he was a 12-time All-American and a two-time Academic All-American. He still holds school records there for the 1,000- and 1,650-yard freestyles. He served as team captain in 2004 and was named the team's Most Valuable Swimmer. He went on to earn an NCAA post-graduate scholarship and the Charles Monroe departmental award for excellence in Economics.

Whitbeck earned an undergraduate degree in Economics and Business from Kalamazoo as well as Master's degrees in Business Administration and Sport Management from UMass.

Whitbeck and his wife, Joanna, have been married for five years and have two sons, Alexander and Owen.