North Carolina Hires Andrew Eckhart as Assistant Coach
The University of North Carolina on Wednesday hired Andrew Eckhart as an assistant coach on the staff of head man Mark Gangloff.
Eckhart comes to the college ranks from the club realm, most recently an the associate head coach at powerhouse Sarasota Sharks. He’s consistently been ranked by the American Swimming Coaches Association as one of the nation’s top age-group coaches.
“I want to thank Coach Gangloff and Carolina for this wonderful opportunity,” Eckhart said in a university press release. “I’ll always cherish my time working at the prep and club level. The relationships we built during that time will be long-lasting. But, when this opportunity presented itself, I knew it was the right thing for me and my family. I’m excited about this new challenge, especially with a prestigious program like Carolina swimming, and I can’t wait to get to work with the talented young men and women in the program.”
Eckhart spent seven years with Sarasota, six as the associate facility director and head age-group coach before becoming the associate head coach in 2024. His pupils include Emma Weyant, the Sarasota native who won a silver medal in the 400 individual medley at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Eckhart was the head coach of Sarasota High School’s boys and girls teams from 2018-25. He won four state titles, was four times named the Florida Dairy Farmer Coach of the Year and in 2023 was a finalist for national coach of the year.
Previously, he was the assistant aquatics director for the Gulliver Schools and head age-group coach for Gulliver Swim Club in Miami. His club coaching career began on the other side of Sarasota as the lead assistant for high school and middle schoolers at Sarasota Family YMCA from 2012-16.
Eckhart swam at Eastern Michigan University, a team captain as a senior. He received his degree in secondary education and history with a minor in political science. He began coaching in 2010 at Jackson High School in Massillon, Ohio, as an assistant for the boys team and an age-group coach at Paul and Carol David YMCA. He got a taste of college coaching as a volunteer assistant for Florida State in 2011-12, while also serving as the associate head coach of Club Seminole.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Andrew and his family to Chapel Hill,” Gangloff said. “Andrew has played a pivotal role in shaping the Sarasota Sharks into one of the nation’s premier club programs, consistently ranked among the Top 10 and highlighted by the development of world-class athletes such as Summer McIntosh. His proven track record in athlete development and his extensive relationships across the club coaching community will strengthen our program as we continue to pursue excellence and attract the best swimming talent to Carolina.”
