HIRAM, Ohio - July 15, 2024 - Hiram College Athletics announced the hiring of Matt Campbell as the school's new head men's and women's swimming & diving coach on Monday afternoon. Campbell is the eighth head coach in the history of both programs and takes over for Michael Barber, who finished his third season in 2023-24.

Campbell brings nearly a decade of coaching experience to the Terriers, which includes three years at Swim Neptune, a swim club with multiple locations across Phoenix, Arizona. He worked alongside Joe Zemaitis, an accomplished swimmer and professional triathlete, and helped lead one of his swimmers to the 2024 Olympic team.

"Bringing Matt onboard is a big move for both of our swimming programs," Director of Athletics Scott Pohlman said. "His coaching experience at a variety of levels made him a strong choice among a pool of other accomplished candidates."

Campbell also served as an assistant coach at Hawken Upper School (Chesterland, OH), where he helped lead the team to a state runner-up finish. One of his athletes, Sarah Pophal, also retained her OHSAA Division II title in the 500-yard freestyle under the direction of Campbell.

"I am thrilled for the opportunity to help lead Hiram College Swimming & Diving into the future," Campbell said. "The vision of the athletics staff, as well as the institutional leaders, aligns directly with my vision for this team. I believe that together we can build a strong swimming community that will achieve both academic and athletic success for years to come."

As head coach of Tiffin Columbian High School (Tiffin, OH), Campbell had four All-Ohio finishers and had new school records during his time with the Tornadoes. From 2017-19, Campbell was also head coach of the Tiffin Community YMCA, where 50+ team records were broken and multiple swimmers went on to swim at the Division I level.

Campbell earned his bachelor's degree in exercise science (2017) and his master's degree in sports management (2019) from Tiffin University. He was a member of the GLIAC All-Academic Team as a senior and a team captain for the Dragons in each of his final three seasons.

Campbell now takes over at Hiram College, where the Terriers men's and women's swimming teams combined for 16 wins in 2023-24, their most combined wins in a season in program history. Both teams will compete in a highly competitive NCAC in 2024-25 before transitioning to PAC competition in 2025-26.