September 4, 2009 Vancouver, BC. The University of British Columbia Department of Athletics and Recreation, in conjunction with the Pacific Dolphins Swim Association, are pleased to announce that Chad Webb has been hired as the Head Coach for both the UBC Thunderbirds swim team and Pacific Dolphins swim club. Webb, who makes the move from Chena Swim Club (North Vancouver, BC), replaces Derrick Schoof who recently left Vancouver for a position with the University of Ottawa and GO Kingfish. UBC also announced today that Richard Millns has been hired as the T-Birds new assistant swim coach, replacing Claude Yves-Bertrand who is now at the National Swim Centre in Montreal.

Webb, 36, comes to the Thunderbirds after serving as the Head Coach and Director of Swimming at Chena since September 2007 with Millns, 31, joining the UBC staff from his position as Head Coach and Technical Director with the Saskatoon Goldfins. Both coaches are scheduled to join the T-Birds later in the fall.

Tom Johnson, UBC’s technical director of swimming, will serve as interim head coach during the transition. “UBC and the Pacific Dolphins should be really excited about getting two young guys who are both on the upswing of their coaching careers,” said Johnson who was responsible for building both programs into national powerhouses as head coach from 1990-2006. “This is a great opportunity to prove themselves at the national and international level and a big part of that success will be the development of their varsity student-athletes.”

Theresa Hanson, UBC’s Associate Director of Intercollegiate and High Performance Sport, is also excited about the newest members of the T-Bird coaching staff. “Chad and Richard exhibit many of the qualities we look for when adding new coaches to the UBC staff,” said Hanson. “They are hard working, they are passionate, and they have the desire and ability to keep our Thunderbird swim teams among the best in the country.”

Webb, who graduated from SFU in 2006 with a major in English Literature and a minor in Physical Education, had an extremely successful tenure at Chena which saw him earn BC Swim Coach of the Year honours in 2008, a spot on the 2008 Paralympic coaching staff, and a place on the 2007 Paralympic Pan Am Games coaching staff.

Webb began his coaching career back in 1988 as an assistant with the Kisu Swim Club. Prior to his time at Chena, he served as head coach at Inconnu Swim Club (Fort St. John, BC) from 2003-2007 and has also coached with the Kamloops Classics and Blue Fins swim clubs. “Chad has great leadership and communication skills with his athletes. His personality and personal touch is going to go a long way in the development of UBC swimmers,” added Johnson.

Millns has been with the Goldfins since 2007. While directing that program he had five athletes win international medals, produced three swimmers onto junior and senior national teams, and saw his swimmers set 100 provincial records. He began his coaching career in 1998 with the Duncan Stingrays and has held various coaching positions since then including a stint as a distance and stroke specialist coach with the University of Alberta from 2004-2006.

“The future of both programs are in good hands,” said Johnson. “With both guys in their thirties, they have been given the opportunity to take the reins of one of the best swim programs in the world for a long time.”

The UBC Thunderbirds varsity teams have dominated the CIS landscape over the past 12 seasons with the men’s and women’s programs winning 22 national championships over that time while producing two world record holders, dozens of Olympians and international swimmers, and even more senior national champions.

Tri/Masters Group - fall session...