Hall of Fame
Dan Schupsky is the most decorated swimmer in The College of New Jersey men’s swimming and diving history. His legacy with the Lions’ swim program, however, has far greater depth than his 17 All-American citations show. Schupsky has been a TCNJ coach, dedicated alum, mentor, and ambassador to the sport of swimming.
As a freshman, Schupsky made a big splash with head coach Brian Bishop and his teammates as he was named Metropolitan Conference Championships (MET) Rookie of the Meet. He was also the Most Improved Swimmer for the Lions and qualified for the NCAA championships.
As a sophomore, he continued to progress, earning MET Swimmer of the Meet along with Most Valuable Swimmer for TCNJ. At the 1998 NCAA Championships, he earned seven All-American citations and placed fourth in the nation in the 100-breaststroke event, the highest finish of his illustrious career.
Blessed with great leadership abilities, Schupsky was named team captain for his junior and senior seasons and owned six program records. In the pool, he continued to lead by example by repeating as MET Swimmer of the Meet and team MVP both years. He tacked on 10 more All-American citations (five each season) and placed 5th nationally in the 100-breast as a senior.
Schupsky returned to his alma mater in 2005 and earned his Masters in Education. In the process, he gave back to the swimming program by taking an assistant coaching position under Bishop. Schupsky was a natural in the coaching arena and was a major influence on Steve Swenson ‘06, who won Division III national title in the 100 breaststroke in 2006.
In addition to his coaching at TCNJ, Schupsky founded and coached the boy’s swimming program at North Hunterdon High School and moved on to become an assistant coach at Bucknell University from 2007-2009. From there, he moved to his current position as assistant swim coach at the University of Pennsylvania.
At Penn, Schupsky coached Brendan McHugh to All-American honors in the 100- and 200-breast. Later that summer, McHugh advanced to the US Olympic Trials, where became a two-time semi-finalist. As stated by Schupsky, it was the single greatest accomplishment of my entire professional career (to date).
An avid contributor to the community, Schupsky has assumed an objective of helping the West Philadelphia community through the “WeCan Swim!” program, with the goal of teaching the local children how to swim. He also helped found and lead the “Athletics Eco Reps,” whose aim is to push Penn’s Athletic Department to be more sustainable. So far, the program has made eco-friendly upgrades to Penn’s pool, and has promoted a sustainable approach to the swim team.
