David Dow is the head men’s swimming and diving coach at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), entering his eighth season leading the Lions’ program in 2025-26. Since taking over the position, Dow has transformed TCNJ into a consistent national contender within NCAA Division III men’s swimming & diving. Under his leadership, the Lions have secured four New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) championships (2021, 2023, 2024, 2025) and earned at least six NCAA Championship qualifiers in each of the last four seasons, with the team placing among the top-20 in NCAA team standings consistently. Dow has been honored as NJAC Coach of the Year five times and Metropolitan Conference Coach of the Year twice, reflecting his impact on both conference and regional levels. During his tenure, he has coached numerous All-American athletes, including James McChesney, who became TCNJ’s first individual NCAA champion in over a decade and set a Division III record in the 200 freestyle.
Before joining TCNJ, Dow built a strong coaching résumé with experience at several collegiate programs. He served as an assistant coach at Williams College, where both the men’s and women’s teams achieved significant national success, producing dozens of NCAA All-Americans and multiple individual national titles. Prior to that, he was head coach for both men’s and women’s swimming and diving at Bethany College, where he led both programs to historic winning seasons and numerous school records. Dow began his coaching career at his alma mater, SUNY Cortland, after enjoying a competitive swimming career there, highlighted by individual conference championships and school honors. He holds a B.S. in Sport Management and an M.S. in Recreation Management in Leisure Services from SUNY Cortland, reflecting both his athletic and academic dedication.
