QUINCY. Ill. - Quincy University President Dr. Brian McGee, Ph.D. and Athletic Director Josh Rabe have hired Bryan Christiansen to lead the men's and women's swimming programs at QU.

"Coach Christiansen has a proven record of success in building new swimming programs and providing a great experience for student-athletes," said McGee. "He is an outstanding choice for QU. We welcome the chance to work with him to bring intercollegiate swimming competition to our community."

Christiansen comes to Quincy from Division II Frostburg State where he served as the head swimming coach from 2018 until 2021. During this time, he guided the Frostburg Bobcats through a transition from competing at the NCAA Division III level to the Division II level.

In his last year with the Bobcats, Christiansen had seven MEC champions at the combined GMAC/MEC Championships, including Swimmer of the Year and Freshman of the Year. The men's team finished fifth overall and third in the MEC, while the women finished seventh overall and fourth in the MEC under Christiansen's direction. 

"Bryan's track record of recruiting and developing well-rounded swim teams is what piqued my interest. He will lead our newest athletic program in a manner that is consistent with the mission and values of Quincy University," said Rabe. "We are all excited about the start of swimming, and the arrival of Bryan caps that excitement with a track record of success."

In their last year at the Division III level and in his first year at the helm, Christiansen guided both programs to a fourth-place finish in the Capital Athletic Conference and three athletes earned four All-CAC Second Team honors. In his three-year tenure, Christiansen's swimmers broke 54 team and pool records. 

On top of developing competitive athletes in the pool, Christiansen also turned around the academic culture within Frostburg's swimming program. When Christiansen arrived at FSU, he took the men from a 2.6 GPA to a 3.3 and the women from a 2.9 to a 3.4 GPA. Along the way, both squads were named Scholar All-Americans in 2019 and 2020.

"Quincy is a fantastic opportunity to build a team the right way in one of the most competitive DII conferences in the country. The athletic department has had tremendous backing of this program, and I am confident that we can do what needs to be done to be competitive," said Christiansen of this new opportunity. "I do want to thank Athletic Director Josh Rabe and the QU search committee for offering me this position."

Quincy Hawk swimming will begin to compete during the 2022-23 academic year with their championship season running from October through February. 

Follow @QUHawks on Twitter and Instagram as well as Quincy University Hawks on Facebook for more updates on the swimming program throughout the year.