Head coach Gabby Holko has announced alumnus Rachel Sweger '20 as the team's volunteer assistant coach for the 2023-24 season. Sweger, a basketball student-athlete for the River Hawks from 2016-20 and team captain, rejoins her college coach Holko after relocating back to Central Pennsylvania from Massachusetts, where she served as an assistant coach at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) during the 2022-23 year.
"We are so thrilled to welcome Rachel back into our program as an assistant coach," said Coach Holko. "Rachel was an outstanding leader for our program as a player and has grown into a fantastic coach. Rachel is going to bring so many valuable things into our program, she will have her hands on both our post players and our guards. It is always wonderful when you can welcome an alum back into the program on the coaching side. Rachel has been through exactly what our current team is going through, day in and day out. She is going to be a great resource for our current student athletes. Rachel we are so excited to have you back in The 'Grove with SUWBB."
About Rachel Sweger '20
"I am excited and honored to join the SUWBB coaching staff for the 2023-2024 season. Since graduating from SU in 2020, I have had the opportunity to coach part-time, alongside my full-time career with The Hershey Company, and there is truly nothing like the college athletics atmosphere. It will be a sweet homecoming to O.W. Houts gymnasium, and I can't wait to see how this program continues to grow into a championship culture. Let's fly!"
Since graduating from Susquehanna with her degree in Business Administration in 2020 with a minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Sweger has worked for The Hershey Company, working in their sales department that has seen her work out of Leesburg, Va., Medford, Mass., and currently the main branch in Hershey, Pa. During her time in Massachusetts Sweger was the assistant women's basketball coach at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) last season, where the Engineers won 17 games and advanced to the NEWMAC Semifinals. She helped mentor rookie forward Alice Hall towards D3hoops.com's Region 2 Rookie of the Year, as well as earning the same honor from the NEWMAC. In addition, the program had three All-NEWMAC selections.
A well-rounded student-athlete in her four years at Susquehanna, Sweger was a consistent Landmark Winter Academic Honor Roll recipient and honoree on the conference's All-Sportsmanship Team. She served as the program's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee representative, including a term as SAAC President her senior year in 2019-20. A solid rotation player, the guard/forward played in 81 games with 18 starts, averaging 12.9 minutes per game with a lifetime .291 field goal percentage (98-337), .262 3-point percentage (54-206), and .892 free throw percentage (33-37).
