Sweet Briar athletic director Kelly Morrison has announced the appointment of Jason Gallaher as the College's head swimming coach, aquatics director and lecturer in the physical education and athletics department. Gallaher returns to Sweet Briar after being away for two years. His first day will be July 1.

In his previous tenure at Sweet Briar, Gallaher was named 2005 ODAC Coach of the Year, and he led Sweet Briar to a 27-14 record during his four seasons. He came to Sweet Briar in August 2003 from California University of Pennsylvania, where he was the graduate assistant for a program with a top-20 ranking in Division II swimming.

At Sweet Briar, he led the Vixens to third place in an 11-team field at the 2007 Old Dominion Athletic Conference/Atlantic States swim meet. The team captured 18 top-10 finishes to close the three-day meet with 341 points overall. The Vixens also had a third-place showing among ODAC teams.

"I am excited to announce that Jason is returning to Sweet Briar," Morrison said. "He left to pursue other coaching opportunities only to find out how much he missed Sweet Briar. Jason is an outstanding coach, and we cannot wait for his return.

"When I found out he was interested in coming back, I was extremely happy and relieved that the team would be in very good hands. He comes back with even more energy and excitement, and I am confident he will take the team to the next level."

The swim team is one of the most decorated and successful athletic teams at Sweet Briar, with nine All-Americans and more than 70 ODAC All-Conference awards. Sweet Briar athletics has a strong commitment to the academic pursuits of each student, and under Gallaher the swim team was honored with the All-American Academic team award, the highest academic award given to any swim team in any division.

Gallaher and his wife, Kari, are the proud parents of a 3-year-old son, Garrett Gallaher.