MINNEAPOLIS -- Jeff Swenson '79, who is stepping down from his position as Augsburg University's Athletic Director at the end of the 2024-25 school year, received the highest honor bestowed on an individual from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the MIAC Distinguished Service Award, at the conference's AD Council meeting on May 6 at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn.

Swenson is the third Auggie to receive the conference's highest honor, joining former administrator and coach Paul Grauer and former administrator, athlete and coach Marilyn Pearson Florian '76, who received their awards upon their retirements in 2010 and 2013, respectively.

According to the conference: "The award is presented annually to an individual or individuals who have made a significant contribution to their institution and the conference. It is the highest honor bestowed upon an individual in the MIAC." Thirty-six individuals have received the award since it was established in 2001.

In addition to Swenson, retiring Saint John's University Athletic Director Bob Alpers and retiring Saint John's baseball head coach and football assistant coach Jerry Haugen received the MIAC Distinguished Service Award, Alpers at the May 6 AD Council meeting and Haugen at the 2025 MIAC Baseball Playoffs at Saint John's.

Swenson, who has spent nearly his entire adult life as a member of the Augsburg University community, is stepping down from his current position as Athletic Director at the end of May and will assume a special role in Augsburg's Office of the President. Amy Cooper will assume her duties as the university's new Athletic Director on June 1.

A 1979 Augsburg alumnus, Swenson has directed the Augsburg Athletic Department since 2001, leading the Augsburg athletic program through a period of unprecedented growth, improvement and athletic success, while prioritizing equity, inclusion and academic excellence.

Since 2001-02, Augsburg teams have won 33 MIAC team championships, received 88 berths in MIAC postseason playoffs with 10 playoff titles, and appeared in NCAA Division III national tournaments 19 times. With Augsburg's nine men's wrestling national championships since 2001 leading the way, Augsburg individual sport student-athletes earned 213 conference and regional individual titles, 322 berths in national tournaments and 38 individual national championships. Augsburg student-athletes in all sports earned 276 All-American and 216 All-Region honors since 2001. Under Swenson's leadership of the athletic department, Augsburg has experienced its most dramatic growth and success in school history, and has undertaken significant improvements in its sport offerings, staffing and facilities.

Swenson served as Augsburg's men's wrestling head coach for 25 seasons (1980-84, 1986-2007), building the squad into a national small-college wrestling powerhouse. Under Swenson's leadership, Augsburg won a record-10 NCAA Division III national championships and 20 MIAC team championships. He had a career dual-meet record of 321-44 (.879 winning percentage), earned National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III National Coach of the Year honors six times and MIAC Coach of the Year honors 13 times.

Swenson has been a member of the Augsburg community for nearly 50 years -- as a student, athlete, coach and administrator. Swenson began his coaching career in his first year out of college, as an assistant coach on John Grygelko's Auggie staff. Grygelko retired in 1980, and Swenson was named head coach. As a wrestler at Augsburg from 1975-79, Swenson produced a 102-17 competitive record, earning NAIA All-American honors three times (1977-78-79) and winning the national title at 167 pounds in 1979. He earned the school's senior Honor Athlete award in 1979 and was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.
 
Swenson also served as an assistant coach on the Augsburg football staff for 10 years, including being a part of the Auggie 1997 MIAC championship and NCAA national tournament team, and also served as director of Augsburg's alumni office for a short time in the 1980s. Swenson earned Augsburg degrees in health and physical education in 1979, and earned a master's degree in health from the University of Minnesota in 1982. He also spent two years away from Augsburg (1984-86) as wrestling coach at Rosemount (Minn.) High School.