Swearingen, LaRiccia earn promotions within Westminster Athletic Department

Westminster College Athletic Director Jason Lener has announced the appointments of Tammy Swearingen and Nathaniel LaRiccia to senior associate athletic director and assistant athletic director for media relations, respectively.

“The tradition and history of Titan athletics has always been built around the people and the commitment they have for Westminster College. Today’s announcement is a reflection of this culture and the genuine desire to provide transformational experiences for our 500+ student-athletes,” said Lener.

Currently the head volleyball coach, assistant athletic director, senior woman administrator, NCAA compliance director and professor of physical education, Swearingen completed her 29th volleyball coaching season in November. She holds the honor of being the all-time winningest coach in one sport in Westminster’s history and is a seven-time Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Coach of the Year.

“While Tammy Swearingen is synonymous with Titan volleyball, she also has served as our assistant athletic director for 25 years,” said Lener. “She is a valued member of our athletic and campus community and is held in the highest regard for her commitment to the student-athlete experience.  I am fortunate to have Tammy on our administrative team and look forward to continuing the good work we have already started.”

Swearingen boasts a career record of 646-342 (.653), including 19 seasons with 20 or more wins and four 30-win seasons. The Titan volleyball team has won six PAC titles, including an unprecedented three-straight, (2002, 2007, 2008, 2019, 2020, 2021) under Swearingen since becoming eligible for the league crown in 2002.

“I feel blessed to have found a wonderful home at Westminster College and to have worked with many great coaches and administrators. I am humbled to be promoted to senior associate athletic director by our newly appointed Director of Athletics Jason Lener. I am grateful for his confidence,” said Swearingen.  

Swearingen, who joined Westminster in 1993, earned her undergraduate at Youngstown State University and her master’s at the University of Akron. She resides in Petersburg, Ohio.

LaRiccia, Westminster’s current sports information director, has been at the forefront of several significant advances in the sports information office during his tenure, including the creation of the current athletics website, the pioneering of social media platforms for athletics and establishing live streaming for home events.

“Nathan has been a valued member of the Westminster family since his arrival,” said Lener. “His leadership in publicizing and covering our 22 varsity sports has been well documented. As our newly appointed assistant athletic director for media relations, I am looking forward to having Nathan continue working with our coaches and staff to promote and cover the success of our Titan athletic teams and over 500 student-athletes.”

LaRiccia has helped bring national attention to several Westminster student-athletes over the course of his career, including the school’s first-ever Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd and an appearance in the Top 10 segment of “SportsCenter” on ESPN.

“I would like to thank Jason Lener, Westminster College President Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson and Westminster’s Chief Information Officer Erin Smith for this opportunity and for their support,” said LaRiccia. “This would not be possible without the support, prayers and love from my family–my biggest fans. There are too many names to list that have had an impact on me professionally. I look forward to continuing to showcase and cover all of our student-athletes’ amazing accomplishments, on and off the playing surface.”

LaRiccia, who resides in Poland, Ohio, joined the Westminster family in 2012. He holds an undergraduate from Kent State University and a master’s from Heidelberg University.

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