Joshua Lercel enters his first season as Assistant Coach to the swimming programs in 2017. Lercel joins the Jags out of Mishawaka, Indiana, where he served as an assistant coach at Penn High School.
A decorated student-athlete in his own time, Lercel competed at Olivet Nazarene University. While there, the hard-paddling freestyle specialist was a three-time NAIA All-American selection and established three school records. He closed out his career as a two-time finalist at the 2015 NAIA Championships, setting a career-best 1:39.56 in the 200 Free while capturing fourth in the event.
Under his leadership, Lercel helped Penn finish fifth in Indiana girl's high school competition and fourth in club state. He also helped lead them to a club state title in the 400 Free Relay and had four All-American performances across multiple events. In addition to his time spent at Penn, Lercel has also coached at the club level, holding positions at both the Academy Bullets and the Sun Oaks Aquatics Club.
