FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The Northern Arizona swimming and diving team promoted Jeana Fuccillo to a full-time assistant coach for the 2010-11 season.  Fuccillo served as a team manager during the 2009-10 season and also spent two years as an academic graduate assistant in the NAU athletic department. 

“I am excited to be around this group of girls because I know they are capable of so much,” Fuccillo said.  "I want to bring it out of them and push them to be Western Athletic Conference contenders every year.  I am looking forward to making sure they are at their best at every practice and every meet.”

Fuccillo was a four-year letterwinner at UCLA helping the Bruins to a pair of second place finishes in the Pac-10 Conference during her career.  She was a three-time top-eight finisher at the Pac-10 Championships and served as team captain her senior season.  

As an upperclassman, Fuccillo worked as a recruiting coordinator and organized recruiting trips for potential student-athletes.  She also gained experience as a student-athlete academic mentor advising freshmen student-athletes.

Following her collegiate swimming career, Fuccillo worked as an academic graduate assistant in the NAU athletic department while pursing her graduate studies in the college of education.  As a graduate assistant, she helped the academic coordinators in eligibility and performance of student-athletes.

While in Flagstaff, Fuccillo gained coaching experience working with the Flagstaff Peaks Aquatic Club.  She remains active at the club level coaching 8-13 age group swimmers.

“I am excited to add Jeana Fuccillo to the program,” said head coach Andy Johns.  “She is familiar with NAU athletics helping out as a club manager and also working on the academic side as an advisor.  She brings in Pac-10 experience as a student-athlete and will help our program move forward.  It is a great fit.”

Prior to swimming at UCLA, Fuccillo was the Illinois High School Swimmer of the Year, a Junior National Champion, Olympic Trials qualifier (2000 and 2004), National Junior Team member and US National Finalist. 

Fuccillo, a native of St. Louis, Mo., was an Athletic Director's Honor Roll selection at UCLA and earned her undergraduate degree in sociology in 2007.  She completed her master's degree in educational psychology and human relations in December 2009.

DID YOU KNOW… The volleyball team had the best semester GPA at 3.49 in the spring of 2010, followed closely by women's cross country (3.47), women's golf (3.41), soccer (3.38) and women's basketball (3.36). Overall, 11 of the 15 teams had a 3.0 or higher semester GPA.