Men's Swimming and Diving
Matthew Jabs
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- jabsm@ecu.edu
- Phone:
- (252) 328-0900
Matthew Jabs begins his ninth season as head coach of the ECU Swimming and Diving program (2017-20, 2021-pres.) and 26th overall with the team.
Both programs were discontinued at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season, but the women’s program was reinstated in January 2021.
Since his return to the Pirates, the program has been on a steady upswing. Pirate athletes have set 21 program records, won six conference championship events, participated in the 2024 Olympic Trials, competed in the 2025 and 2026 NCAA Championships, set 88 ECU All-Time Top 10 performances. Frida Zuniga also concluded her historic diving career at ECU by being named an NCAA All-American.
Dual Meet Record Since 2021: 39-16
Under his previous stint as head coach of the program, the men’s team captured its fourth American Athletic Conference championship in 2020 and he was recognized as Coach-of-the-Year along with his staff.
During his three seasons as ECU's men's and women's coach, his teams compiled a combined dual meet record of 35-18 (M 16-9, W 19-9). The Pirates set 66 school records (38 varsity/28 freshman) and won 26 American Athletic Conference championship events with 50 all-conference athletes accumulating 78 all-conference performances.
ECU set multiple championship records and registered numerous NCAA “B” qualifying standards in those three seasons, with four athletes receiving an invitation to the NCAA Championships and three being named NCAA All-Americans. More than 100 ECU all-time top 10 performances have been recorded during his tenure as head coach.
Jabs was a member of ECU Hall of Famer Rick Kobe’s coaching staff for 17 seasons before taking over the reins of the program.
He began his collegiate coaching career as a volunteer assistant at ECU before becoming a graduate assistant in 2001. After completing his master's degree in 2003, he was promoted to assistant coach and spent the next eight seasons as the program's lead assistant before being elevated to associate head coach in 2013. During that time, the Pirates captured three men's American Athletic Conference titles while the women won a pair of league championships in 2001 (ECAC) and 2003 (Conference USA).
As an assistant at ECU, Jabs coached multiple NCAA Championship qualifiers and individual conference champions. The athletes he mentored as an assistant posted 196 ECU all-time top-10 career performances and accounted for 35 records. His pupils also received the ECU Most Outstanding Swimmer Award seven times and its Most Improved Swimmer Award eight times.
As a member of the coaching staff in 2013-14, Jabs helped the women’s squad post the only undefeated regular season by an ECU female athletic program in school history. Neither the men’s nor women’s teams have finished below .500 during Jabs’ tenure.
A four-year letterman at ECU for Coach Kobe, Jabs was a two-time recipient of the program’s Most Outstanding Swimmer Award. As a senior, he served as team captain and posted the fastest 100-yard freestyle time in school history, which previously stood for more than 20 years, during his final meet. He was a multi-event Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship finalist and finished his career ranked among the school’s all-time top-10 in the 50, 100 and 200-yard freestyle.
A native of Vernon, Conn., Jabs graduated from East Carolina University in 2001 with a degree in exercise and sports science and a minor in recreation and leisure studies. He earned his master's degree in athletic and physical education administration two years later.
Jabs and his wife Jaclyn, also an ECU graduate and former athletic trainer, have two sons Evan (18) and Jackson (14).
Both programs were discontinued at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season, but the women’s program was reinstated in January 2021.
Since his return to the Pirates, the program has been on a steady upswing. Pirate athletes have set 21 program records, won six conference championship events, participated in the 2024 Olympic Trials, competed in the 2025 and 2026 NCAA Championships, set 88 ECU All-Time Top 10 performances. Frida Zuniga also concluded her historic diving career at ECU by being named an NCAA All-American.
Dual Meet Record Since 2021: 39-16
| 2021-22 | 2-8 | American Conf. Finish (5 of 5) |
| 2022-23 | 8-3 | American Conf. Finish (6 of 9) |
| 2023-24 | 10-1 | American Conf. Finish (4 of 7) |
| 2024-25 | 11-1 | American Conf. Finish (4 of 7) |
| 2025-26 | 8-3 | American Conf. Finish (3 of 9) |
Under his previous stint as head coach of the program, the men’s team captured its fourth American Athletic Conference championship in 2020 and he was recognized as Coach-of-the-Year along with his staff.
During his three seasons as ECU's men's and women's coach, his teams compiled a combined dual meet record of 35-18 (M 16-9, W 19-9). The Pirates set 66 school records (38 varsity/28 freshman) and won 26 American Athletic Conference championship events with 50 all-conference athletes accumulating 78 all-conference performances.
ECU set multiple championship records and registered numerous NCAA “B” qualifying standards in those three seasons, with four athletes receiving an invitation to the NCAA Championships and three being named NCAA All-Americans. More than 100 ECU all-time top 10 performances have been recorded during his tenure as head coach.
Jabs was a member of ECU Hall of Famer Rick Kobe’s coaching staff for 17 seasons before taking over the reins of the program.
He began his collegiate coaching career as a volunteer assistant at ECU before becoming a graduate assistant in 2001. After completing his master's degree in 2003, he was promoted to assistant coach and spent the next eight seasons as the program's lead assistant before being elevated to associate head coach in 2013. During that time, the Pirates captured three men's American Athletic Conference titles while the women won a pair of league championships in 2001 (ECAC) and 2003 (Conference USA).
As an assistant at ECU, Jabs coached multiple NCAA Championship qualifiers and individual conference champions. The athletes he mentored as an assistant posted 196 ECU all-time top-10 career performances and accounted for 35 records. His pupils also received the ECU Most Outstanding Swimmer Award seven times and its Most Improved Swimmer Award eight times.
As a member of the coaching staff in 2013-14, Jabs helped the women’s squad post the only undefeated regular season by an ECU female athletic program in school history. Neither the men’s nor women’s teams have finished below .500 during Jabs’ tenure.
A four-year letterman at ECU for Coach Kobe, Jabs was a two-time recipient of the program’s Most Outstanding Swimmer Award. As a senior, he served as team captain and posted the fastest 100-yard freestyle time in school history, which previously stood for more than 20 years, during his final meet. He was a multi-event Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship finalist and finished his career ranked among the school’s all-time top-10 in the 50, 100 and 200-yard freestyle.
A native of Vernon, Conn., Jabs graduated from East Carolina University in 2001 with a degree in exercise and sports science and a minor in recreation and leisure studies. He earned his master's degree in athletic and physical education administration two years later.
Jabs and his wife Jaclyn, also an ECU graduate and former athletic trainer, have two sons Evan (18) and Jackson (14).
Thursday, February 27
Wednesday, April 25
Monday, January 23
Wednesday, September 07
