SALISBURY, Md. – Head men's and women's swimming coach
Nate Parsley has announced the hiring of
Chris Knorr as the new Salisbury University men's and women's assistant swimming coach.
Knorr joins the Sea Gulls after serving as the program's graduate assistant coach during the 2025-26 season, where he played an integral role in the continued success of Salisbury's men's and women's swimming teams. In his new full-time role, he will assist with all aspects of the program, including student-athlete development, recruiting, practice planning, championship preparation, and day-to-day operations.
Coach Parsley stated, "Chris was a coach long before he ever officially held the title. As a captain, he helped recruit and welcome a class of 37 freshmen in 2022. Every day on deck, he elevated our culture and spent four years helping establish what we now recognize as the standard for Salisbury swimming. He has been an integral part of our men's and women's programs' rise from the bottom of the NJAC and onto the national stage."
During his time as a graduate assistant, Knorr helped guide Salisbury to another successful campaign, contributing to the development of 18 NCAA Championship qualifiers who combined to earn six All-America honors, including a national runner-up finish in the 1,650 freestyle. He also helped the women's team capture its second consecutive NJAC Conference Championship while the men's team recorded the best conference finish in program history as runner-up.
"Chris put in the legwork as an athlete to help lay the foundation," Parsley said. "It's not surprising that the year he stepped into our graduate assistant position, our program exploded onto the national scene, going from nearly no NCAA representation to eight NCAA All-Americans this past season alone. His loyalty to Salisbury and his unwavering commitment to this program have been integral to how and why we have prospered."
Knorr worked closely with the program's distance training group while assisting in the development of training plans for sprint, middle-distance, and distance swimmers. He also played a key role in recruiting, coordinating official and unofficial visits, managing prospective student-athlete communication, and building long-term recruiting systems for the program.
Prior to joining the Salisbury coaching staff, Knorr gained additional coaching experience as a swim coach with the Salisbury-based Sammy Swim School program run out of the univeristy pool. He currently helps coach during the summer for the seasonal Elks swim team. His coaching background spans swimmers of all ages and abilities, emphasizing technical development, conditioning, and mentorship.
A Salisbury graduate and former standout student-athlete, Knorr was a four-year captain of the Sea Gulls men's swimming team and earned Team MVP honors in each of his four seasons. He was an NCAA Division III B-Cut qualifier in the 200 butterfly and was recognized as a 2025 CSCAA Academic All-American. He is currently pursuing a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with a Higher Education and Leadership concentration at Salisbury University.
"I put on this cap as an eighteen-year-old kid who had no idea what he was capable of, and this program showed me," Knorr said. "Getting to stay and give that back to the next generation of Sea Gulls is the only job I ever wanted. I'm incredibly grateful to Coach Parsley for his trust and to Director of Athletics
Monica Polizzi for this opportunity. I'm humbled to be part of the long lineage of great Sea Gull coaches who have built a storied culture and established a standard of winning. I'm proud to carry that tradition forward, and I'm ready to get to work. #GoGulls!"
Knorr becomes just the second full-time assistant in Salisbury swim history, and the latest addition to the Sea Gull coaching staff as Salisbury continues to build upon one of the premier NCAA Division III swimming programs in the country.
Parsley concluded, "Whether he realized it or not, Chris has been preparing for this position since he was 19 years old. We have reached a point where established Sea Gulls are ready to lead this program forward, and this year our staff will include seven former Salisbury swimmers leading the charge. With Chris in this position, I believe we have the leadership, continuity, and shared commitment necessary to take the next step in our ascent and become a top-10 program within the next three years."
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with affiliate membership in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (football, men's & women's swimming), Coastal Lacrosse Conference (men's lacrosse), State University of New York Athletic Conference (field hockey), and Colonial Women's Golf Conference (women's golf). With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the nation's most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have won a combined 23 team national championships, 26 individual national championships, and 211 conference championships, and have produced 54 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
