Coaches

Ken McLaughlin:Head Coach

McLaughlin_2009Currently the most experienced coach in the State University of New York Athletic Conference, Ken McLaughlin returned to SUNY Potsdam in 2002. Coach McLaughlin first began his coaching career in 1985 at Potsdam. During his career he has had age group swimmers ranked as high as 1st in the U.S. He has also had 12 junior national qualifiers, 4 senior national qualifiers - including one who placed, 2 Olympic trial qualifiers. Additionally Ken has coached 6 NCAA national qualifiers including one All-American, 13 conference champions, 22 Potsdam record setters and one SUNYAC MVP.


In 1998, McLaughlin also started the NCAA Division I women's program at Siena College. Within three years, the Siena women advanced from ninth to fourth place in the ten team metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.


Coach McLaughlin holds both a Bachelors degree in Physical Education and a Masters of Science degree from Indiana University. During his years as a swimmer at Indiana his achievements included being a four-year Division I national qualifier and a school record holder. In 1981 he also attained a world ranking of ninth in the 50-meter Freestyle.




Joshua Jock: Assistant Coach

Joshua Jock_72dpi Joshua Jock, a 2003 graduate of SUNY Potsdam, comes back for his first year as the Assistant Coach. Joshua is also the Co-Founder and has been the Head Coach this previous year of Northern TRIBS Swimming (NTS); a USA swim club that began in 2007. Members of TRIBS have participated in USA Swimming Competitions and qualified for Long and Short course Gold Championships, Zones; qualified for the NYSPHSAA State Championships; and have competed at the Empire State Games.


Joshua will direct the Bear’s Competitive Swimming group and will be instructing lessons in Potsdam this fall. Recently, he restarted the Bear’s Swimming Training “Boot Camp.” Joshua hopes to expand his knowledge of coaching various levels of swimming to help improve the level of Competition in Section X at the High School Level.


Joshua has a Bachelors degree in Theatre and a Masters of Science in Elementary Education. While attending SUNY Potsdam, Joshua swam in final events for the 100 and 200 backstroke several years at the SUNYAC Championships and several Relay Events. Joshua continues to swim and also competes during US Masters Swimming (USMS) as an Adirondack District (AD) member.

 

toland_72dpiRay Toland  has coached swimming and diving for over 15 years, and triathlon for over 25.  Among teams that he has coached diving are: The University at Albany (1974-76); USMA West Point (1976-80) and SUNY Potsdam (1997-2000, and 2008 to present).


Toland is a graduate of Clarkson University with a BS in Physics,  and holds MS and PhD degrees in Atmospheric Physics from the University at Albany . His career has included 20 years as a US Army officer,  and 20 years teaching Physics and Mathematics at various universities, including USMA West Point,  Creighton University, Faulkner University, Clarkson University, and SUNY Potsdam.