Augsburg College - Athletics

Augsburg College Athletics Staff -- Jeff Swenson

Jeff Swenson Athletic Director
Contact Jeff -- 612-330-1241, swensonj@augsburg.edu

Jeff Swenson (Augsburg '79), who spent 25 seasons as one of the most successful amateur wrestling coaches in the country at Augsburg College, is the college's Athletic Director. He began his duties overseeing the athletic department in 2001, when he was named Assistant Dean for Athletics and Recreation. In 2007, as part of a restructuring of the athletic department, Swenson's title was changed to Athletic Director. He is also serving as a wrestling assistant coach in 2008-09.

In his role as a member of President Paul C. Pribbenow's staff, Swenson currently supervises the 18-sport Augsburg intercollegiate athletics program and the college's intramural athletic program. Swenson was named to the position on an interim basis in 2001, and his posting was made permanent in 2004.

"I look forward to working with Coach Swenson in the years ahead as we partner to make Augsburg one of the finest examples of NCAA Division III athletics in the country -- a college that honors the connections between academics and athletics, that celebrates both sportsmanship and competition, and that helps our students to grow as individuals and teammates," Pribbenow said. "I can think of no one better than Jeff Swenson to lead us in this vision for intercollegiate athletics at Augsburg College. His track record speaks for itself. His love for the college is unparalleled. And he has the passion, commitment and skills to guide our athletics programs into a bright future."

As an administrator, Swenson has led the Augsburg program through a period of unprecedented growth and improvement. In 2007, construction was completed on the new Kennedy Center addition to Si Melby Hall, which includes expanded classroom, meeting and locker room space, along with a new fitness facility and a new wrestling training facility. In 2005, a new SprinTurf surface was installed at Edor Nelson Field, and a new seasonal air-supported dome was installed over the field in the 2006-07 school year.

Swenson, a 1979 Augsburg graduate, served as Augsburg's wrestling head coach for 25 seasons (1980-84, 1986-2007), building the squad into a national small-college wrestling powerhouse. Under Swenson's leadership, Augsburg won a record-10 NCAA Division III national championships and produced a career dual-meet record of 321-44 (.879 winning percentage).

Swenson has been a member of the Augsburg community for more than 30 years -- as a student, athlete, coach and administrator. A national champion wrestler at Augsburg in his senior year of 1979 with a career record of 102-17, Swenson began his coaching career in his first year out of college, as an assistant coach on John Grygelko's Auggie staff. Grygelko retired in 1980, and Swenson was named head coach.

"I've been around Augsburg since the fall of 1975, over 30 years," Swenson said. "Augsburg has shaped me. Augsburg has made me who I am, and it's allowed me to pursue my passion to be a coach. Now, I have a greater passion to lead the entire athletic department as a full-time administrator. I've learned a lot about leading and coaching by being the head wrestling coach here for 25 years. That's going to help me as I lead Augsburg athletics into the future."

Under Swenson's leadership, Augsburg won 10 NCAA Division III wrestling national titles in a 17-year span, a championship total doubling that of any other Division III school. Augsburg is one of only three NCAA schools to have won 10 or more wrestling national titles (Oklahoma State has won 34 Division I team titles, while Iowa has won 20 Division I team titles). Augsburg has also finished second in Division III national competition seven times, and has finished among the top four teams in national competition 19 seasons in a row -- the only NCAA school in any division that can make that claim.

During his tenure as Augsburg's head coach, Swenson coached 158 All-Americans and 39 individual national champions. Since beginning its competition in the NCAA Division III national tournament in 1983 (Augsburg competed in the NAIA prior to 1983), Augsburg has won 38 Division III national titles, the most of any Division III school. Augsburg has had at least one All-American in national wrestling competition (NAIA and NCAA) every season since 1977, at least six All-Americans every year since 1996 and at least five All-Americans every year since 1989.

Augsburg has also been a success in the classroom. Over the past 24 seasons, Augsburg has produced 100 NWCA Scholar All-Americans, the most of any college in any division in the nation. Augsburg had five Scholar All-Americans this season, has had at least three Scholar All-Americans every year since 1993, and has had 77 athletes honored since 1997. Augsburg has also had eight ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans in wrestling, as awarded by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Over the 10 seasons the NWCA has awarded Division III academic team national championships while Swenson was head coach, Augsburg finished second three times and first once (1998-99). Augsburg finished 11th among Division III schools in 2006-07 with a 3.283 team grade-point average.

Swenson, whose teams also won 20 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team titles, was named MIAC Coach of the Year 13 times and NWCA National Coach of the Year six times (1983, 1991, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2007). Swenson was inducted into the NCAA Division III Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame in 2005, the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association/David Bartelma Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2000-01, Swenson was named Lutheran College National Coach of the Year (all sports) from Lutheran Brotherhood, and in 2002, he earned National College Coach of the Year honors (all divisions) from Wrestling USA Magazine.

"I am proud to know Jeff Swenson and to be able to honor his remarkable career as our head wrestling coach at Augsburg," Pribbenow said. "He has accomplished great things with his wrestling teams -- 10 national championships, countless individual titles, team academic achievements and so on. But perhaps more than anything, I am proud of Jeff's commitment and passion for that individual student who needs the guidance, support and challenge to be the best he or she can be -- as an athlete, as a student, as a person. Jeff exemplifies what makes Augsburg the special and rare place that it is -- putting students first and helping them to grow to be successful, responsible and good people.

"Jeff Swenson leaves a remarkable legacy as the Augsburg wrestling coach. He has built a program that will endure as a shining example of quality and achievement. Now he has made the remarkable decision to bring his skills and passion to bear on moving Augsburg's intercollegiate athletics programs to the next level of excellence. Surely there is no one better than Jeff to lead our athletics programs -- both to the benefit of our student-athletes and the reputation of the college."

As a wrestler at Augsburg from 1975-79, Swenson produced a 102-17 competitive record, earning NAIA All-American honors three times (1977-78-79) and winning the national title at 167 pounds in 1979. He earned the school's senior Honor Athlete award in 1979 and was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.

Swenson also served as an assistant coach on the Augsburg football staff for 10 years. Swenson earned Augsburg degrees in health and physical education in 1979, and earned a master's degree in health from the University of Minnesota in 1982. He also spent two years away from Augsburg (1984-86) as wrestling coach at Rosemount (Minn.) High School.

Swenson and his wife, Melissa, live in Minneapolis, Minn. In September 2005, the couple had their first child, a son, Brady, and in February 2006, the couple had twin boys, Brett and Ethan.

Jeff Swenson with son Brady at the NCAA Division III National Championships in Dubuque, Iowa, on March 3, 2007.

Augsburg Athletic Administration -- Jeff Swenson | Paul Grauer | Marilyn Florian | Kelly Anderson Diercks |

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Augsburg College, a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III.

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