Drew University Men's Swimming

Munson makes the move from New York University, where he has served as an assistant coach for the Violets since 2012. During his three seasons, he was part of a coaching staff that helped transform a stagnant program into a vibrant group of hardworking student-athletes focused on competing on the national level. That goal was met as both NYU programs placed ninth at the 2015 NCAA Division III Championships. Munson plans to bring that same championship culture to the deck at Drew University by running a structured program focused on each individual's personal goals and events.   "We are enthused to have Rich join our coaching staff," Fein said. "His dedication to training elite student-athletes is impressive, only rivaled by his unbridled passion for the sport of swimming and diving. There is a lot of excitement in the department to see where Rich can take this program."   A 2000 graduate of Seton Hall University, where he competed for the Pirates at the Division I level in the Big East Conference, Munson's personal success as a student-athlete sparked his interest in coaching. After a successful stint on Wall Street as a financial analyst, Munson made his return to the pool as a volunteer coach at Stevens Institute of Technology in 2007, where he learned the basics of recruiting, race strategies, and teaching techniques. In his five seasons as an assistant, Munson helped produce 16 NCAA All-Americans and 24 NCAA Honorable Mention All-Americans. In his final season at Stevens, both teams posted their highest-ever finishes at the NCAA Championships, with the women placing fifth and the men 11.   At NYU, the results were swift and staggering upon Munson's arrival. Within two years, the Violets transitioned from having a combined eight athletes achieve 12 NCAA B qualifying times with no individuals invited to the NCAA Championships, to 38 athletes posting 99 NCAA B qualifying times with 20 individuals invited to nationals.   "I am very excited to lead the Rangers as the next head coach of Drew swimming and diving," Munson said. "I sincerely thank the search committee team and for entrusting me to build a successful program at Drew. We will have very high expectations going forward and I can't wait to get started."   Munson was a part of the University Athletics Association 2015 Coaching Staff of the Year after guiding the NYU men's and women's teams to undefeated dual meet records, a combined 23 UAA Academic All-Star honors, and 36 new program records. His other duties at NYU included assisting the management of the natatorium, creating high-intensity training programs, leading alumni fundraising events, and performing post-meet race analysis to track stroke rates, lap pace, and overall times versus the competition.   Munson was attracted to Drew's distinct recruiting advantages such as reputable academic programs, vast internship opportunities, and proximity to New York City. It is his immediate mission to integrate the returning student-athletes with his philosophy on training combined with a renewed dedication to surpassing their personal goals. He carries over the unique skillset developed in the financial sector, including attention to operational detail, art of negotiation, customer service, and how to keep calm under extreme pressure. These skills have helped challenge student-athletes to be their best both in and out of the pool.   A native of Maplewood, NJ, Munson resides in Hoboken, NJ. Alma Mater: Career Record Men: Career Record Women: th

Johnson 01 joined the Drew University swimming team as the programs new assistant coach in the fall of 2014.   Johnson, a 2001 Drew University graduate and three-year letter winner for the Rangers swimming squad, brings over 25 years of experience in competitive club, high school and collegiate swimming.   I am thankful to have Mark on staff, said head coach Rich Munson. We are very fortunate to have someone on deck with his level of swimming and coaching experience. Also, to have Mark come full circle and be back at Drew is really special. It shows how much he loved his experiences here as a student and how much he wants to share that with our current team. Over the years there have been so many different coaches and generations of swim teams, and I really feel like having Mark back here connects the dots.   Johnson was a standout on the Rangers 4x100 Freestyle Relay team that set a school record and showed great versatility in the pool by consistently recording fast times in the individual medley races. Johnson remains in the Top 15 in the Ranger Record Books in the 200IM with a time of 2:12 during the 1998 season. Since then, his love and passion for the sport has grown exponentially through a variety of coaching jobs since his last stop in Madison.   It's exciting to be back on campus working with a new generation of Drew swimmers, Johnson said. Drew University and Rangers Swimming were a huge part of my life and I still carry with me many of the lessons I learned here as a student-athlete. Now I want to pass that on to the current Rangers during my time here.   Johnsons most recent coaching gig was as an assistant for the Princeton Piranhas, where he worked with elite national-caliber swimmers to refine strokes and techniques. Prior to the Piranhas, he was the head womens swimming coach at The College of St. Elizabeth in Morristown for the 2012-13 season. Johnson utilized current stroke and training techniques to develop several swimmers into conference finalists, while stressing the importance of maintaining high academic standards and discipline.   The Drew grad began his professional career by serving as the Aquatics Director at the Westfield Area YMCA from 2003-05. His first coaching position came in 2005 when he accepted the head job at The Hardlaw-Hartridge School in Edison. During that time, Johnson also applied his Bachelor of Arts in history as a middle school history teacher at The Winston School in Short Hills.   Johnson is ASCA Level I certified as well owning certificates for lifeguard, CPR, AED, oxygen, CPO and first aid. Mark Johnson Assistant Swimming & Diving Coach Drew '01 Mark Johnson 01 joined the Drew University swimming team as the programs new assistant coach in the fall of 2014.   Johnson, a 2001 Drew University graduate and three-year letter winner for the Rangers swimming squad, brings over 25 years of experience in competitive club, high school and collegiate swimming.   I am thankful to have Mark on staff, said head coach Rich Munson. We are very fortunate to have someone on deck with his level of swimming and coaching experience. Also, to have Mark come full circle and be back at Drew is really special. It shows how much he loved his experiences here as a student and how much he wants to share that with our current team. Over the years there have been so many different coaches and generations of swim teams, and I really feel like having Mark back here connects the dots.   Johnson was a standout on the Rangers 4x100 Freestyle Relay team that set a school record and showed great versatility in the pool by consistently recording fast times in the individual medley races. Johnson remains in the Top 15 in the Ranger Record Books in the 200IM with a time of 2:12 during the 1998 season. Since then, his love and passion for the sport has grown exponentially through a variety of coaching jobs since his last stop in Madison.   It's exciting to be back on campus working with a new generation of Drew swimmers, Johnson said. Drew University and Rangers Swimming were a huge part of my life and I still carry with me many of the lessons I learned here as a student-athlete. Now I want to pass that on to the current Rangers during my time here.   Johnsons most recent coaching gig was as an assistant for the Princeton Piranhas, where he worked with elite national-caliber swimmers to refine strokes and techniques. Prior to the Piranhas, he was the head womens swimming coach at The College of St. Elizabeth in Morristown for the 2012-13 season. Johnson utilized current stroke and training techniques to develop several swimmers into conference finalists, while stressing the importance of maintaining high academic standards and discipline.   The Drew grad began his professional career by serving as the Aquatics Director at the Westfield Area YMCA from 2003-05. His first coaching position came in 2005 when he accepted the head job at The Hardlaw-Hartridge School in Edison. During that time, Johnson also applied his Bachelor of Arts in history as a middle school history teacher at The Winston School in Short Hills.   Johnson is ASCA Level I certified as well owning certificates for lifeguard, CPR, AED, oxygen, CPO and first aid.

After serving as a volunteer coach in 2025-26, Nicholas Cowie was promoted to assistant men’s and women’s swimming & diving coach prior to the 2026-27 season.   Cowie helped the was part of the Landmark Conference Men’s Swimming & Diving Coaching Staff of the Year in 2025-26. He helped Drew’s men’s squad win all five relays at the Landmark Conference Championships as the Rangers finished third in the team standings. In addition, he helped nine Rangers capture All-Landmark Conference honors, including Nicholas Heinio-Widell C’26, who earned the Landmark Conference Swimmer of the Year award after winning all seven of his events (three individual, four relay) and posting an NCAA B cut in the 100-butterfly. Cowie also helped lead the Drew women’s team to a third-place finish at the Landmark Conference Championships in 2026, with seven Rangers capturing a spot on the All-Landmark Conference Team. In addition to his duties with the Rangers, Cowie has served as an assistant coach for the swimming teams at Hanover/Whippany Park since 2025. He gained additional experience as a swim coach/lifeguard at Pioneer Aquatic Club.   Cowie was a standout swimmer for William Paterson University from 2013-2017. A team captain as a senior, he holds the school record in the 400-medley relay and ranks in the top-five all-time at WPU in the 50-, 100-, and 200-butterfly. He earned a spot on the Metropolitan and New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Academic All-Conference teams, and he also captured WPU’s Student-Athlete Academic Excellence Award.