Christopher Ip Named Clemson Head Coach

July 17, 2002

Clemson, SC – Christopher Ip, who led Indian River Community College in Fort Pierce, FL to 13 consecutive men’s and 13 consecutive women’s national junior college championships, has been named head coach of the Clemson Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving program. The 45-year-old native of Swarthmore, PA won the national championship in both men’s and women’s competition all 13 years he served as head coach at Indian River Community College.

Each of the past two years he not only coached both teams to national junior college championships, he also coached the national male and female Swimmers of the Year. His swimmers combined to break 17 national records over the last two years. In 2002, all of his athletes earned some degree of CSCAA All-America status, and they combined to earn 64 NJCAA All-America honors.

Ip has been honored as the National Coach of the Year at the Junior college level for men’s swimming 10 times, including seven years in a row between 1992-98. He has been named the women’s National Coach of the Year four times, including each of the last two years. He was named the National Coach of the Year in both the men’s and women’s swimming programs this past academic year.

Prior to his career at Indian River, Ip served as the Head Men’s and Women’s Swimming Coach at the University of Delaware. He led the men’s program to conference championships in each of his last two years (1988 and 1989). His 1988 team had a 10-1 dual meet record. The women’s program won the East Coast Conference title in 1989. Overall, his swimmers combined to win 42 individual East Coast Conference championship titles in his five years leading the program. Twelve of his swimmers were USS Senior National qualifiers.

Ip began his college coaching career as the men’s assistant coach at East Stroudsburg in 1978, followed by two years as the assistant women’s swim coach at Springfield College before heading to Brown University in Rhode Island. The women’s program won the Ivy League Championship in 1984, his only season with the program.

Ip also has considerable international coaching experience. He served as head coach of the Jamaican National Swim Team for the 1994 World Games in Rome, Italy. He also coached the same team at the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, British Columbia that same year. In the spring of 1997 he was a member of the Venezuelan coaching staff for the FINA Short Course World Championships at Gothenburg, Sweden.

Many of his athletes have gone on to success at the Olympic level. He had a total of 10 athletes represent their respective countries in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, and the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. While a swimmer at Indian River, Ricardo Monasterio won the 1500 meter freestyle at the 1998 US Open and was the bronze medallist in the 1500 meter freestyle at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada.

Ip has been honored for his accomplishments and contributions to the community many times in Florida. He received the Pinnacle award from the St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce for service to k-12 education for his First to Float Program for first graders. He has co-sponsored programs with the Humane Society, the American Heart Association, the Treasure Coast Opera Society, and has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Red Cross of the Treasure Coast. Under his leadership, the Indian River teams have received recognition from the Florida House of Representatives, two state of Florida Resolutions, and four city resolutions. In addition, the teams received the President’s Cup from the Florida Hall of Fame. In terms of administration, Ip has served two terms as NJCAA Swim Coaches Association President, and serves in the Florida Swimming Association. He has held the rank of assistant professor since 1993.

During his collegiate career he was the captain of the East Stroudsburg State team for three years. He was named a Distinguished All-America swimmer twice. Ip earned a bachelor of arts degree in biology from East Stroudsburg State in 1978 and a master of science degree in exercise physiology from Springfield College in 1984. His wife Loreto, is the assistant dean of the Division of Health Science at Indian River Community College.