Coach John Eife joined the Hargrave coaching staff as the Director of Aquatics and Head Coach after a decade of successful coaching and leadership at the NCAA Division I, USA Swimming and high school level.As an Assistant Coach at Drexel University, Coach Eife worked primarily with the middle distance and stroke groups as the technical stroke coach. His ability to communicate highly complex swimming concepts in multiple learning styles was highly effective. His positive outlook and supportive coaching style was instrumental in the team’s success.
As the Aquatic Director and Head Coach at Westtown School, Eife’s teams won consecutive league championships and re-wrote the school and league record books in his first four years. Under his guidance, the Westtown boys’ team won the 2010 Delaware Independent School State championship, a first in the school’s 200 year history. In his eight years as the Westtown head coach, he fielded six championship teams.
As the Director and Head Coach of the Westtown’s USA Swimming program, Coach Eife’s recruiting abilities were instrumental in doubling the size of the program within three years of his appointment. His coaching skills guided multiple swimmers to national qualifying times and finalists at several state championship meets, including two state champions. Many of his swimmers are now competing at the highest collegiate levels in the country and around the world. Several have also qualified for Olympic Trials.
While competing for Drexel, Coach Eife was a middle distance and sprint swimmer. Together with his teammates, he held every relay team record, as well as several conference records. He was the anchor on the 1978 East Coast Conference championship medley relay which won by .01 seconds. In high school, John was a national qualifier and a national high school champion in the 200 freestyle.
Coach Eife has a Masters of Science degree in Exercise Science and is also a Certified Personal Trainer with the National Academy of Sport Medicine.
