Eric Skelly is entering his thirteenth season as head coach of the University of the Cumberlands Swimming programs. During his time with the Patriots, Skelly has earned numerous conference and national recognitions including six Mid-South Conference Championships and top-ten finishes at the NAIA National Championships for both the men’s and women’s program in each of the previous seven years.
Over the past 12 years the UC women’s swim team has seen tremendous success at the national level. The Patriots have produced 58 All-Americans, two NAIA National Champions, and have set 20 new school records. UC has earned four top-five finishes at the national championships, including a third place finish in 2013 and 2018, which is tied for the best finish in program history. In 2013, Skelly guided the program to their first #1 ranking in the NAIA Coaches Poll and was named the NAIA National Coach of the Year. Skelly notched his second NAIA Coach of the Year Award in 2018 after his third place finish at Nationals.
The UC men’s swimming is coming off a sixth place finish at the 2018 NAIA National Championships. Under Coach Skelly, the men’s team has had two NAIA National Champions, 42 NAIA All-Americans, the 2018 NAIA Diver of the Year, and have set 16 new school records.
Since swimming became an official Mid-South Conference sport in 2015, Skelly has guided his women’s team to four straight MSC Titles, 38 first team all-conference selections, 54 second team all-conference selections, four MSC Swimmers of the year, and three MSC freshman of the year honors. The UC men’s team won the inaugural MSC Championships and finished runner-up in each of the past three seasons. Over the past three years the Patriots have produced 25 first team all-conference and 32 second team all-conference selection, as well as one MSC swimmer of the year and one MSC freshman of the year. In addition to that Skelly was named the Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year in 2016 for both men’s swimming and women’s swimming.
In addition to the success that the program has had in the water, they have also excelled in the classroom. Over the past seven years the UC swim team has had 26 swimmers earn NAIA Scholar All-American Honors, 38 earn MSC Academic All-Conference Honors, and both the men’s and women’s team were named CSCAA Scholar Teams in each of the past three seasons.
Skelly was previously an assistant coach for the University of Nevada for the past three years. Before coaching the Wolf Pack, Skelly was an assistant coach at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Ind. where he worked with the women and men's swim teams. He was the primary recruiter during his tenure at Valparaiso where he worked with the distance swimmers and individual medley specialists. In addition to coaching and recruiting he helped develop a comprehensive weight and dry land conditioning program.
Before coaching at Valparaiso, he spent three years as the assistant aquatics director and head age group coach at the Crawford Aquatic Center in Crawfordsville, Ind. where he worked with the Sugar Creek Swim Club. He coached several state champions and nationally ranked athletes of which 12 broke 17 team records. His coaching resume includes four years as the head age group coach for the Decatur Swim Club in Decatur, Illinois, a year as a volunteer assistant coach at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, and a year as the head swimming coach and assistant aquatics director at the Shelby "Y" Community Center in Shelby, Ohio.
As a collegiate swimmer, Skelly competed for Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio from 1994-97. He helped Ashland reach NCAA Division II Championships four times during his career, earning top 10 finishes three times in 1995, 1996 and 1997.
He is certified American Swimming Coaches Association. Skelly received a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice Administration from the University of Phoenix in 2005 and completed work on a master degree in sports administration in 2007 at Valparaiso. Eric and his wife Jennifer have two sons, Drake and Connor.
