Bio

Christopher Culp enters his ninth season as the head men’s and women’s swimming & diving coach at UW-Oshkosh in 2023-24.

Culp has guided the men's UW-Oshkosh program to fifth-place finishes in the WIAC during each of his first six full seasons. The 2021 WIAC and NCAA Division III Championships were canceled due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Culp and the Titan women's team finished fourth in conference in 2018 and fifth in his other six full seasons at the helm. The Titans' fourth-place showing was the program's best since also placing fourth in 2005.

During Culp's tenure the Titans have established 12 school records on the men's side and 16 more on the women's side.

Last season, CJ Willert broke men's program records in both the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard backstroke. The Titan women set records in the 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly, 200-yard individual medley, 400-yard freestyle relay 800-yard freestyle relay and 1-meter diving.

In 2021-22, Culp helped the UW-Oshkosh women set a school record in the 800-yard freestyle relay, and Bailey Schroeder won the WIAC title in 1-meter diving.

In the abrreviated 2020-21 campaign that featured four meets, the UW-Oshkosh men's squad eclipsed a pair of school records as Jarrett Lieder set the new mark in the 400-yard individual medley, and the 400-yard freestyle relay team that included Lieder surpassed the previous standard.

In 2019-20 the UW-Oshkosh men’s team established five new school records under Culp – all by Lieder – while the Titan women set three new program marks, including two by Mariah Marowsky. Lieder was the WIAC champion in both the 500- and 1,650-yard freestyles. Marowsky was tabbed the inaugural WIAC Swimming & Diving Newcomer of the Year.

During the 2018-19 campaign, Culp’s men broke four UW-Oshkosh records, including three relay marks, while the women eclipsed three program records. Lieder was the 1,650-yard freestyle champion.

Culp, who owns more than 20 years of coaching at a variety of levels, came to UW-Oshkosh from Concordia University Irvine (Calif.), where he served the 2014-15 season as a graduate assistant coach while finishing work on a Master of Arts Degree in Coaching and Athletics Administration. Culp’s diverse coaching background includes the tutoring of swimmers and divers from novice to elite and age group to collegiate. He has trained under two Olympic coaches, Sherm Chavoor and Mike Hastings.

At Concordia University Irvine, Culp assisted with the organization of all swimming & diving practices, meets, recruiting and fundraising. In 2014-15 the Eagles finished fourth in both the men’s and women’s standings at the NAIA Championship.

Prior to his one season at Concordia University Irvine, Culp coached the boys and girls swimming & diving teams at Burlingame High School (Calif.) from 2005-14. He joined the Burlingame Aquatic Club in 2004 and served as the organization’s head swimming & diving coach until his departure for Concordia University Irvine.

Culp earned his first coaching position at San Francisco State University (Calif.) in 1997, serving three years as the school’s assistant swimming & diving coach before being named head coach in 2000. Culp coached the Gators until the school dropped its swimming & diving program in 2004.

Culp received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Liberal Studies from San Francisco State University in 1999. The Sacramento, Calif., native swam one year for the Gators and established school records in the 100-yard butterfly and the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke. Culp helped San Francisco State University finish 13th at the 1997 NCAA Division II Championship by placing 10th in the 100-yard butterfly, 11th in the 100-yard breaststroke and 13th in the 200-yard breaststroke.

Culp, who has been involved with numerous community service projects, is a member of the American Swim Coaches Association and the National Interscholastic Swim Coach Association.

Culp, and his wife, Ellen, are the parents of Neil and Erin.

(10/6/23)