Interim coaching tags leave questions for future

It was business as usual at 3 p.m. Tuesday afternoon for swimmers in Pershing Natatorium: both swimming coaches paced the pool deck as the first of two afternoon practices was 30 minutes underway.

However, that morning the swimming offices showed signs of change. Interim head coach Jennifer Godlewski had boxes stacked in the middle of her office while a technician set up her office phone. The office of interim assistant coach Danielle Odenthal was completely empty except for a desk and two chairs.

Athletic Director Jerry Wollmering announced Dec. 15 that head swimming coach Mark Gole had resigned to take the head coaching job at William Jewell College located near Kansas City. Gole told the Index this week he resigned in the middle of the season in part to be closer to his girlfriend (see story, above left).

Assistant coach Tim Sandfort also resigned in December prior to Gole's resignation to take a position with Dell Computers in Texas.    

The hiring of two interim coaches makes the picture clearer for the swimming teams for the rest of the season, barring any surprises. Godlewski and Odenthal, a 2010 Truman alumna and former volunteer coach, will lead the team until their contracts end April 30.  

"I think we have the talent here," said Godlewski, a former graduate assistant at Div. I Illinois State University. "I think it goes to hard work and dedication and good recruiting. That will definitely be a focus of mine here in the upcoming weeks."

The only change with the team's schedule thus far is the cancelation of the annual training trip during Winter Break. Competition will resume as scheduled starting with a dual meet 2 p.m. Saturday at Missouri State University.

Both Godlewski and Odenthal said that this season they will not significantly alter the training program that Gole established. Also, recruiting will continue with the two coaches sharing duties. Odenthal said no recruits have been signed yet for next year, but there is an athlete coming for a recruiting trip this weekend.

"We have several others that had already been talking and looking into the program, so we're definitely staying in contact with them," Odenthal said.

However, after April 30 the future of the swimming program is uncertain as there is no permanent head coach or assistant coach. Godlewski said she is "most definitely" going to apply for the job, and Odenthal said she was "open to the idea" of a permanent position.

It also remains to be seen if money will be cut from the swimming program, and athletics as a whole, if Truman takes a budget cut next year. The athletic budget was about 2 percent of the overall budget in 2010, according to University documents, and President Troy Paino predicted a $5 million cut for the next fiscal year last July.

Wollmering said the absence of a full-time coach would not have an impact on the decision-making process following a possible budget cut to the department.

"That's not how we would make our decision on what to cut," he said. "My focus has been making it the best possible experience that we can for the rest of the season, and then when the end of the season comes to an end, a lot of it would depend on who we hire as head coach."

The next head coach will head a women's program that has finished in the top five at nationals in each of the last 13 years and a men's team that has finished in the top 16 in 16 of the last 17 years. The swimming area in Pershing also was renovated recently.

After this season the women's team will graduate seven seniors — all with nationals experience — while the men's team has only one senior.

However, a permanent coach also will take over a program that has declined in its finish at nationals in the five years since Gole became head coach. In Gole's first year the women finished first and the men 11th. Last year, the women finished fifth and the men 23rd — the lowest finish for either squad since 1997.

Despite the comparatively low finishes, Gole told the Index at the end of last season that the program finished well considering it is not fully funded — the women had less than four athletic scholarships and the men less than one in 2009-10.

Both interim coaches said scholarships should not be a hindrance because Truman is known for its academics and has had success in the past.

"Especially for the women's team we rely a lot on our success I think," Odenthal said. "A lot of people are attracted to Truman not only just for the swimming but also for the academics, so that helps a lot. … The men's team is improving championship-wise."