ST. PAUL, Minn. - Concordia-St. Paul head women's basketball coach Amanda Johnson has announced the hiring of Patrick Swenson to the assistant coaching staff.
Swenson spent the past two seasons as a graduate assistant for the Jamestown women's basketball team.
"I am thrilled to be adding Patrick to my staff here at CSP, there is no doubt in my mind he will be one of the hardest working assistants within the NSIC," Johnson said. "It should be a fun year ahead and I am looking forward to working with him and helping him grow as a college basketball coach."
As a graduate assistant, Swenson served as the head varsity assistant coach for the Jimmies and the head coach of the junior varsity team. He also created many social media posts for the Jamestown women's basketball pages.
"I'm passionate about working hard for the team and being a good steward of the university," Swenson said. "I'm also passionate about creating relationships that go beyond just the basketball court."
Swenson graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Developmental Psychology in 2021. He served as a manager for the men's basketball team in 2017. He then switched over to the women's basketball team under Lindsey Whalen from 2018-21.
"He was a very easy person to talk to over the phone from the start which was huge for me because I work very closely with my top assistant and being able to connect over the phone was a very comforting thing to start the hiring process," Johnson said. "I also reached out to his references who were people I trust and know and they all had great things to say about him. Minnesota is home for Patrick so it helps knowing this is a place he really wanted to be."
He also has experience coaching for the Minnesota Fury AAU girls basketball team in 2019 and as a boys basketball coach at Bethlehem Academy from 2016-18.
"I like to coach because I love seeing athletes become their best on the court and also helping them to achieve their goals in the classroom and in life," Swenson said. "I also love the relationships I get to create and the experiences I get to have."
The Faribault native now gets to coach closer to home at a university that aligns with his values.
"CSP is the right fit for me because it's the perfect combination of high-quality, Christian education and highly competitive athletics," Swenson said. "I like to be a coach that provides a holistic experience to athletes and CSP is the perfect place to do that."
Swenson now joins a CSP squad that returns four starters from last year's 20-8 team that led the country in blocked shots per game.
"I am excited for Patrick's hardworking energy that was very evident throughout his interview process," Johnson said. "His words to me were 'Coach I want us to win a conference championship and I will do whatever it takes to help assist with the process to get there.'"
