For the first 36 seasons in program history, the UNC Wilmington swimming & diving team only had one man to answer to, former coach Dave Allen.

Having originated the program in 1977-78, Allen was the team’s first and only head coach in school history up until his retirement this summer, directing the AquaHawks to 16 CAA championships, including an unprecedented 13 in a row on the men’s side.

Being forced to replace a coach with Allen’s reputation and track record was not an easy task for UNCW’s athletic department this offseason.

However, they feel like they’ve found a more than adequate choice to help continue the team’s long history of success.

Enter new coach Jason Memont.

Memont began his coaching thirteen years ago at a YMCA in Massachusetts. From there, his career progressed from part-time to full-time at the College of William & Mary, where he was an assistant for three years before becoming an assistant for the University of South Carolina the last seven seasons.

“I grew up around the pool,” Memont said. “My mother was a swim lesson instructor when I was growing up and so I was always around the pool.”

The former Rochester Institute of Technology swimmer lived near the beach in a town called Groveland, Massachusetts. Growing up near the water, Memont was active in local swimming competitions.

“I swam competitively from the time I was five to the time when I was 22,” Memont said. “I grew up ten or fifteen minutes from the beach in Massachusetts and I would definitely say that returning to be that close again was pretty nice.”

Memont chose to work with the UNCW swim team because of their amazing track record, the location of the town, and the familiar atmosphere.

“My familiarity with the Colonial Athletic Association was a big part of it,” Memont said. “I spent three years in this conference in the past so I was very familiar with, not only Coach Allen and his success here, but I was also familiar with all the other coaches in the conference so a comfort level was certainly part of it.”

Having a new face around the pool has taken some time for veteran members of the UNCW swim team to adjust to. Nevertheless, Memont has already left a positive impression on many swimmers whom share his championship philosophy. 

“He has been awesome”, said Adam Salzman, UNCW’s senior team captain. “He has a much newer approach, and lots of new ideas. I can tell Jason is focused and puts an emphasis on the weight room and in the pool; it’s more focused on quality.”

Memont’s strategy for maintaining a healthy team morale and camaraderie is to tailor his coaching to each individual.

“I think the important part about motivation is identifying where every swimmer is unique,” Memont said. “And trying to learn their personality so that you know what kind of swimmer they are and what they will respond to.”

Taking the helm of a successful program has left Memont little time to enjoy Wilmington’s leisurely activities. Once he gets past the initial rush of adjusting to his new position, Memont is hopeful he’ll be able to catch a few fresh breaths of the city’s salt air.

“I have not actually seen the beach yet, everyone tells me there is one here, but I have seen a lot of this office and a lot of the pool deck,” Memont said. “I have not really seen much of the surrounding community just yet, but I am looking forward to it.”