CHAMPAIGN, ILL – The University of Illinois has hired Jeana Fuccillo Kempe as the new head coach of the Fighting Illini swimming and diving program, Director of Athletics Josh Whitman announced today. Kempe's hire is pending approval by the UI Board of Trustees at its July meeting.

"As we launched the search for the new head coach of our swimming and diving program, it was important to us that we identify a coach with unbridled energy, great relationship skills, and tireless work ethic," said Whitman. "We wanted a new leader with a strong vision for the future of our swimming and diving program, who understood and embraced the opportunity to build our program in the Big Ten Conference and on the national stage. In Jeana Kempe, we found all that and so much more. As a native of Illinois, Jeana has long followed our Fighting Illini program, and we are excited for her to connect with our current student-athletes and the athletes and coaches in our state. I have no doubt that her impact will be felt almost immediately. We are grateful to Jeana, her husband, Andrew, and their daughter, Avery, for trusting us, and we look forward to welcoming them to the Fighting Illini family."

Kempe comes to the UI after one season as an assistant at South Carolina, three years at Auburn (2019-21), six seasons at LSU (2013-18) and a stop at Northern Arizona (2011-12). After joining Jeff Poppell's first staff at South Carolina a year ago, Kempe was the lead coach of the women's middle-distance swimmers and the lead women's recruiting coordinator.

"Growing up in Illinois, I want to express the extreme excitement I have to come home, grow roots in Champaign-Urbana with my own family, and build upon the Fighting Illini swimming and diving program," Kempe said. "I first want to thank Josh Whitman and Dr. Breanna Robinson for the opportunity to be the leader of Illinois Swimming and Diving. Their belief in me was felt immediately and I cannot wait for the opportunity to work alongside them. The University of Illinois is an elite academic institution and has everything set in place for success in the Big Ten Conference. I am ready to hit the ground running to build this program in the Big Ten and nationally."

A native of Lebanon, Illinois, Kempe was a five-time Illinois state champion at Belleville Althoff High School under her maiden name of Jeana Fuccillo. She won both the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley in 2001 and 2002, and the 200-yard individual medley in 2003. In high school, she was the 2002 Illinois High School Swimmer of the Year, an eight-time high school All-American, and a three-time Junior National Champion (200 Breast, 200 Fly, 200 Back). Kempe was also a member of the U.S. National Junior Team that competed in Barcelona, Spain, an Olympic Trials qualifier in 2000 and 2004, and a U.S. National Finalist. 

Following high school, Kempe swam collegiately at the University of California-Los Angeles. While competing for UCLA, she was a team captain and a PAC-10 Championship finalist, earned four letters and helped the Bruins to a pair of second-place finishes in the PAC-12 Conference. She was a three-time top-eight finisher as an individual at the PAC-12 Championships. Kempe earned her bachelor's degree in sociology from UCLA in 2007 and then completed her master of arts in education psychology and human relations from Northern Arizona in 2009. She worked as an academic graduate assistant in the NAU athletics department while pursuing her master's. While in Flagstaff, Kempe gained coaching experience working with the Flagstaff Peaks Aquatic Club.

Prior to her time at South Carolina, Kempe spent three seasons as an assistant at Auburn where she worked primarily with the middle-distance men and women. In 2019, she helped lead Auburn's women's team to a 15^th-place finish at the NCAA Championship, its highest team finish in seven years. All five of Auburn's women's relays scored points at the NCAA Championships as well as earning All-America honors that season. While at Auburn, she was instrumental in the development of one SEC champion in the 200 freestyle, two All-Americans in the 200 backstroke, and a new program record-holder in the 200 breaststroke. In total, Kempe helped the Tigers register 11 individual All-American performances.

During her six years in Baton Rouge, Kempe served as an assistant coach for LSU before being promoted to the associate head women's coach her final year with the program. While with the Tigers, Kempe worked with the middle-distance stroke groups. From 2012-14, her student-athletes broke 10 school records and 11 swimmers qualified for the NCAA Championships. Kempe helped lead LSU's women to its highest finish at the SEC Championships when it took fifth in 2015. The program also sent a program-record 11 swimmers and divers to the NCAA Championships in back-to-back years during her tenure.

In two seasons as an assistant at NAU, Kempe led swimmers to 14 NCAA 'B' cuts and 14 school records. In addition, her swimmers registered 28 program all-time top-five swims. NAU posted two top-three finishes at the WAC Championships with Kempe as an assistant coach, including a second-place finish in 2012. Four NAU swimmers were named CollegeSwimming.com Mid-Major All-Americans during the 2011-12 season and swimmers won five individual titles during the 2012 WAC Championships.

Kempe also participated in the USA Swimming Women's Leadership Summit and National Team Camps in 2015 and 2017. 

Kempe is married to Andrew, and the couple has one daughter, Avery, who turned six years old on Tuesday (April 26).