June 20, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky swimming and diving teams added a new member to it’s staff, naming Lars Jorgensen as the associate head coach, Gary Conelly announced Wednesday.
“I am really excited to join the staff here at Kentucky,” Jorgensen said. “I can’t wait to get in there and start helping Kentucky reach the highest level. I am just so excited to be here and work with a great staff. I look forward to getting right to work and getting a jump start on the upcoming season.”
Jorgensen is fresh off of a stint with the University of Tennessee swimming and diving program, where he arose to an assistant coaching role after serving as a volunteer assistant for the Vols.
After serving as the head coach at Toledo, Jorgenson returned to UT in 2011 and helped lead the Volunteers to a 12th-place finish in the NCAA Championships and third in the Southeastern Conference Championships. In addition, Jorgensen helped lead the Vols to a 6-2 dual-meet record, including a 2-1 mark within the SEC.
“We are extremely excited to welcome Lars to our staff here at Kentucky,” UK head coach Gary Conelly said. “His experience and background will help to move UK swimming and diving up the ladder in the SEC and NCAA. He is a great all-around coach and will be great at recruiting, motivating and day-to-day coaching.”
Jorgensen served as head coach of the Toledo Rockets swimming and diving programs beginning in 2003 and spanning to the 2010 season. In his time at Toledo, Jorgensen led the Rockets to new heights, capturing the program’s first-ever Mid-American Conference Championship in 2009-10 and finishing 35th nationally at the NCAA Championships. The Rockets were also fantastic out of the water for Jorgensen, tallying a 3.4 GPA in the classroom, which ranked 17th among NCAA Division I schools that season.
Jorgensen has spent many years within the SEC having been at nationally-renowned programs such as LSU and Tennessee.
Jorgensen was a standout swimmer for UT and the United States, representing the USA in the 1,500-meter freestyle at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, finishing ninth. Jorgensen also holds the current UT record in the 1000-free, tapping in at 9:05.38 in 1992. In addition, Jorgensen holds the Ironman record for fastest swimming time in competition history.
For continuing coverage of UK swimming and diving and the 2012 season, log on to UKAthletics.com.
