Having previously served UNC Pembroke for 16 years as a swim instructor, Rhonda Blank joined the athletics department in September 2015 as the school’s first swimming & diving head coach. The Braves will compete in varsity swimming & diving beginning with the 2016-17 athletic season.
Blank, a Pembroke native, also served as a co-director of the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department’s Swim School since 2011. She also served a stint as an assistant athletics director and a health/physical education teacher for the Hoke County School System since 2004.
As an assistant aquatics director and Swim School director since 2001, Blank was charged with the hiring, training and certifying of swim instructors, while also marketing and promoting the services of the program. Her position with Hoke County Schools charged her with fund-raising and budget management, as well as the hiring and supervision of coaches. She also served as chairman of the physical education/health department.
A certified American Red Cross Lifeguard and Water Safety Instructor Trainer, Blank is also certified in CPR and First Aid, as well as a pool operator. She earned her bachelor’s degree in education from UNCP in 2001 and went on to earn her master’s degree in exercise science from UNCP in 2003. She also has a firm knowledge on the disciplines of competitive swimming, and is an expert technical coach as well.
She is married to David Blank who currently serves as an adjunct professor at UNCP.
