Colin Shannahan completed his 12th year on Grymes Hill with the Seahawks' women's swimming and diving program and second year with the men's swimming and diving program that was established in 2021-22. He is a two-time NEC Coach of the Year and took home four NEC sportsmanship awards, as voted on by their fellow coaches and competitors.
In September of 2020, Shanahan was also announced as the head coach of the new men's swimming and diving team at Wagner, which commenced competition in the NEC for the 2021-22 season.
The 2015-16 season saw Anu Nihipali qualify for and compete at the US Olympic Trails. Dorian McMenemy qualified for and competed at the Rio Olympics in the 50 freestyle for the Dominican Republic. The year was also a successful one in the classroom as the team finished with the third-highest GPA in the country amongst D1 swim programs.
The 2014-15 season was another one for the record books. 10 school records were set along with 5 conference records and 3 NCAA “B” cuts as the team finished 2nd in the conference. Sophomore Anu Nihipali became the program’s first NCAA qualifier with a 52.97 in the 100 backstroke. A record 4 Wagner swimmers qualified for and competed at the AT&T Winter Nationals and Nihipali also competed at the Summer Nationals.
The 2013-2014 Seahawk Swimming and Diving team continued to new levels of success and did so in dominant fashion, under the direction of Colin Shannahan. As a testament to his dedication to recruiting elite swimmers and divers, Shannahan continued to recruit standout student-athletes nationwide during his three years at the helm of the Seahawk team. As announced in the fall of 2013, Shannahan helped produce a nationally recognized recruiting class that yielded the best finish in the program’s history. During this season, Shannahan led Wagner to the program’s first ever NEC conference championship. At this meet, Wagner set 16 school records, three conference records and won by the largest point differential in over 10 years. The Seahawks scored 844 team points in the championship tournament, the first team to break the 800 barrier since 2003 and only the fourth team since the first championship in 1999.
Under his tutelage, Shannahan has elevated the NEC program to new heights. In regard to individual awards, Shannahan has earned several notable accomplishments. Shannahan earned NEC Coach of the Year Honors twice. Furthermore, he has also has recruited student-athletes that earned back to back Rookie of the Year honors and NEC Swimmer of the Year honors. With the incredible success of the program, Coach Shannahan helped Wagner swimmer Anu Nihipali qualify for the 2014 Phillips 66 USA Swimming National Championships in Irvine, California. This milestone marked the first time in Wagner program history to have an athlete qualify for and compete in this prestigious meet.
In his inaugural season from 2011-2012, the swimming and diving team earned a third place finish at the Northeast Conference Championships while breaking four school records in the process. The 2011-2012 Seahawks also earned Academic All American Honors, placing 5th out of all Division I Swimming and Diving programs. In the following season, Shannahan surpassed preseason expectations, culminating the season with a heart-pounding runner-up finish at the 2013 Northeast Conference Championship, narrowly missing the title by a mere 17.5 points. In this successful performance, Shannahan coached the young team to a powerhouse finish that accumulated a flurry of 13 new school records. The swimming and diving team continued to excel at academic dominance as well, maintaining the highest GPA in the Northeast Conference and out of all Wagner College athletic teams. This classroom success earned the Seahawks Academic All American Honors yet again, competing against hundreds of Division I Swimming and Diving Programs academically.
Shannahan was no stranger to Division I swimming, having swam and coached at the Division I collegiate level for nearly twenty years. He spent eight years as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator with the Rams, leading them to success both in the Atlantic 10 Conference and on the national level. At The University of Rhode Island Shannahan recruited and trained a student-athlete who became the most decorated swimmer in Rhode Island history, qualifying for the first three NCAA “B” cuts in the program’s history. After accepting the position of Head Swimming and Diving Coach and Aquatic Director in June of 2011 with Wagner, Shannahan continued to make immediate impact on the already successful Seahawk program.
Prior to his coaching days, Shannahan was also a standout athlete. The Lincoln, RI native was a three-time all-state swimmer at Lincoln High School, where he won the 200 and 500 freestyle titles in both his junior and senior years. His record times stayed intact for 10 years until they were broken in 2008. Following his high school success, Shannahan brought his talents to nearby Columbia University, where Shannahan was a four year letter-winner, school record holder and two-year team captain with the Lions.
