BRIDGEWATER, Va. – Bridgewater College Head Men's and Women's Swimming Coach Gwynn Harrison has announced her retirement from coaching after her 10^th season with the Eagles. Assistant coach Ethan Coleman has been promoted to head coach and will lead the program moving forward.
 
"We are grateful for Harrison's dedication and hard work over her last decade at Bridgewater," said Director of Athletics Curt Kendall. "Not only has she built a successful program in the pool, but she has built a community and team culture that is well recognized across the conference."
 
Harrison was tagged as the head coach for the Eagles' women's swimming program for the 2016-17 season, and she was the founding head coach for the men's program when it began varsity competition in the 2017-18 season.
 
The Ohio native took the program to new heights right out of the gate. The women's team broke 19 school records in her first season and set a then-program-best 10-1 dual-meet record in the 2017-18 campaign. The two programs continued to set records and improve year after year during her tenure. In total, the Eagles tallied eight first-team All-ODAC selections, a pair of ODAC Swimmer of the Meet and a pair of ODAC Rookie of the Year awards. Additionally, Harrison was named the league's 2023 men's coach of the year.
 
"Stepping away is hard, but what we've built here gives me peace in doing so," said Harrison. "Ten years ago, I had a vision for this program to become relevant, and the shape it has taken leaves me beyond proud and deeply fulfilled. I'm grateful for the support from our administration in making this decision."
 
The 2024-25 season saw the Eagles reach the national stage for the first time as Zachary Erb qualified for the NCAA Championships and earned All-American honors. Erb followed it up with a return trip this season as he earned All-American honors again this past week.
 
More important than her impacts in the pool, Harrison built a program with a strong foundation in team culture, unity and respect. Harrison's squad earned five Bonnie Kestner Sportsmanship Awards, presented at the ODAC Championships each season in recognition of good sporting behavior.
 
Ethan Coleman will take over the programs for the 2026-27 season. Coleman has been an assistant with the program since 2020 and was recently elevated to a full-time assistant role in 2023.
 
"I'm really thankful and excited for this opportunity," said Coleman. "I've been a part of the program for the last five years and have gotten to see it grow a ton, and I'm excited to continue that. Gwynn has been an incredible mentor. I've been very lucky to learn from her."
 
Coleman has a deep background in coaching at the club and collegiate levels. He has been an integral part of student-athlete development in his time at BC and has also been a key asset to the team's culture.
 
"[Coleman] loves this program deeply and will continue to grow it for the future, while continuing with its standard," said Harrison.
 
Harrison will aid in the program's transition period through the end of the current academic year.