After a successful first season at the helm of Warren Wilson College's
aquatics program, Andrew Pulsifer enters his second year directing the
pool operations and coaching a young team hoping to gain re-admission
into the NAIA, build on the enthusiasm generated last year when four
new varsity records were set and continue creating a quality swimming
program full of fun and good times.
Pulsifer is a 1988 graduate of Virginia Tech and in 1996 earned his
master's degree from Georgia State University in sports administration.
He was the head coach for five years at Washington and Lee University
(VA) and the assistant at Emory University (GA) for seven.
During his tenure as head men's swimming coach at Washington and Lee, Pulsifer continued the 28-year streak of sending at least one person to the NCAA Division-III National Championships. Six of his swimmers earned NCAA qualifying times with three of them garnering All-America honors. The men broke five varsity records and had four earn Academic honors, including one who won the GTE Academic All-America award.
After graduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in broadcast communications, and while working for a broadcast news network in Atlanta, Pulsifer joined the staff at Emory as an assistant men's and women's swimming coach in 1989. During his seven years there, Pulsifer helped the Emory women's team to top-10 finishes at the NCAA Division III Championships six times and helped the men's team to two top-12 finishes, with over 25 swimmers earning All-America honors.
Pulsifer has spent the past five years working in Maine with L.L.Bean in Customer Satisfaction and Retail, including two summers spent on the coastal waters with the Outdoor Discovery School as a Registered Maine Sea Kayak Guide. He holds certification with the American Swimming Coaches Association, the College Swimming Coaches Association of America, the National Swimming Pool Foundation and the American Red Cross.
The California born, Virginia native was a four-year letter winner and team captain while swimming for the Hokies in Blacksburg. He is also a six-time U.S. Masters Swimming National Champion, qualified for the USA National Championships 1986-1988 and swam on the 1987 USA Swimming Short Course National Championship Team for the Mission Bay Makos. He continues to train for swimming events in the pool and open water, enjoys hiking, running, ocean kayaking and body surfing. He loves to do all these things with his wife, Emily, and their two awesome boys.
