Harold Swanagan played for the Irish from 1998-2002. He served as a team captain during his senior campaign.

Harold Swanagan Named Coordinator Of Men's Basketball Operations

July 15, 2009

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Harold Swanagan, a forward on the Notre Dame men’s basketball team from 1998-2002 and currently the coordinator of student welfare and development at the University, has been named coordinator of men’s basketball operations, it was announced today by Irish head coach Mike Brey. Swanagan fills the position formerly held by Martin Ingelsby for six years before his recent promotion to assistant coach on the Notre Dame staff.

“I am thrilled to have Harold join our basketball staff in the operations position,” Brey said. “I think he will be such a great influence on our players given that he is a Notre Dame man, played in the BIG EAST and played for me.

“He already has developed deep relationships with our current players from former position in the Student Welfare and Development Office. He was a great captain and leader for us as a player and always was a guy who put the team first. I am thrilled to have Swanny back with us.”

A four-year monogram winner, Swanagan, who served as a tri-captain for the Irish during his senior season in 2001-02, played professionally in Europe for two seasons. His first stint was with ENAD in Nicosia, Cyprus, during the 2002-03 season, followed by a year with Autun in Autun, France, in 2003-04.

Swanagan returned to Notre Dame in May 2004 and served as an intern with the strength and conditioning program during the 2004-05 school year before being named to his current position the spring of ’05.

While playing forward for the Irish, the Hopkinsville, Ky., native appeared in 127 contests (fifth all-time) and made 78 starts while averaging 6.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Swanagan also helped Notre Dame to a 78-52 overall record and 37-29 mark in BIG EAST play during his four seasons. In his senior season (’01-’02), he served as a tri-captain and averaged career bests of 8.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while helping lead the Irish to a 22-11 record (10-6 in BIG EAST play) and their second consecutive trip to the second round of the NCAA tournament. That year, he also was named to the BIG EAST Academic All-Star Team.

During Brey’s first season with the Fighting Irish in 2000-01, Swanagan was a member of a Notre Dame team that won the school’s first-ever BIG EAST regular-season title, as the Irish captured the conference’s West Division crown with an 11-5 record en route to a final 20-10 mark. Swanagan and the Irish made their first NCAA appearance in more than a decade and advanced to the second round.

As a sophomore in 1999-2000, Swanagan helped Notre Dame to a 22-15 record and a berth in the championship game of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).

Since returning to the South Bend area, Swanagan played professionally for the Elkhart Express (formerly of the International Basketball League) from 2005-07 and led that franchise to two IBL championship in ’06 and ’07. He also served as assistant varsity girls’ coach at nearby Marion High School during the ’04-’05 and ’05-’06 campaigns.

Swanagan earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters in May ’02 and received a master’s degree in education with an emphasis in educational leadership from Indiana University-South Bend in May 2009.

In his role with the student welfare and development department, Swanagan worked directly with assistant athletics director Charmelle Green on the department’s award-winning Life Skills and student-athlete development programs. The Student Development program focuses on providing a balanced Notre Dame experience for student-athletes by focusing on five key areas: academic excellence, athletic success, career preparation, community involvement and personal development. Much of Swanagan’s job centered around coordinating community service activities for the more than 700 student-athletes on the school’s 26 athletics teams and career development.

Swanagan and his wife, Andrea, reside in South Bend. She also is a ’02 Notre Dame graduate and currently is the director of worldwide clubs for the University’s Alumni Association.

–ND—