Craig Nieuwstad became the University of Regina's swimming program's eighth head coach in August of 2021.
He took over the Cougars with a wealth of coaching experience, including at the U SPORTS level as an assistant with the U of R between 2014 and 2021. Nieuwstad has also been with the Regina Optimist Dolphins since 2012 and now serves as that club's head coach and general manager.
Nieuwstad, originally from South Africa, began his coaching career with Tygerberg Aquatics in Cape Town. He completed his Bachelor of Sports Science from the University of Stellenbosch in 2009 and followed that up with an honours degree from Stellenbosch specializing in high performance.
He also spent two and a half years as a teaching assistant at the U of R while taking classes towards his Master of Science degree.
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