Starting her 20th season in 2009-10, Pat Skehan was named the head coach of the inaugural CSUB women’s swimming program in May 1989. As the only coach for the women’s program, Skehan continues moving the program from a very successful NCAA Division II program into the very competitive Division I with an improved team finish last year at the Conference USA Championship and some solid Division I wins in the very fast California swimming scene.
Since the inauguration of the women’s swim team at CSUB, Skehan has coached 13 NCAA Division II national champions who have won a combined 35 titles, as well as 57 women who have received All-American honors. Skehan coached three-time NCAA Division II Swimmer of the Year Loni Burton, who was also named the NCAA Division II Swimmer of the Decade for the 1990’s. Her teams have scored at the national championship 14 times. The women’s swimming program has finished in the top five nationally six times and the top 10 eight times, including an all-time best second place finish in 1998.
Skehan has built a tradition of high-caliber swimming and high academic performance. Skehan places a huge focus not only in the water, but also in the classroom. Three athletes have earned the honor of an NCAA Postgraduate scholarship, 12 swimmers who have earned national academic honors, and the team has earned national academic honors at least one quarter every year of her 20-year coaching career with the Roadrunners. The team has improved each year as a result of individual development and this promotion comes from serious effort in all aspects of the college experience, not merely in athletic endeavor.
Coach Skehan has acquired numerous awards including Outstanding Coach award from both the College Swim Coaches Association and the American Swim Coaches Association numerous times for her work with the ever-improving CSUB women’s swim team.
Prior to coming to CSUB, Skehan spent nine years as head coach of the women’s program at the University of Rochester where she had a 52-23-2 dual-meet record, 20 All-Americans, three NCAA Division III top-20 finishes, one Division III state title, a University Athletic Association conference title and an NCAA Postgraduate scholarship winner.
During her tenure at Rochester, Skehan also served as the associate director for women’s schedule (since 1983) and as the director of aquatics at the University’s Speegle-Wilbraham Aquatic Center (since 1981).
Skehan is also the author of a trio of stroke mechanic publications. She spent the summer of 1987 in El Salvador and the fall of 1988 in Brazil under the auspices of the U.S. Embassy to help each country’s respective government establish competitive amateur swimming programs.
A 1979 physical education graduate of St. Bonaventure University in Olean, N.Y., Skehan received her master’s degree the following year from Indiana University.
