Roger Karns was hired in October 2011 as the fifth men's and women's swimming head coach in Lewis history. The 2017-18 season is the seventh for Karns at the helm of the Flyers. Karns’ student-athletes have set new school records in 17 men’s and 16 women’s events. Each of the 10 relay records have fallen under Karns' leadership.
In 2014 Victor Tarin was named Great Lakes Valley Conference Male Freshman of the Year after finishing the season with four individual school records and three relay school marks. Tarin won the GLVC 500 freestyle title as well. He also joined Brandon Drogemuller as Flyers under Karns who earned CollegeSwimming.com National Swimmer of the Week honors. Drogemuller earned his honor during the 2011-12 season when he would eventually go on to win the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 1650 freestyle championship. In 2013 Bryan Wiener was named GLIAC Male Freshman of the Year honors after winning the 100 backstroke and 50 freestyle GLIAC titles. He set new school records in the 50 freestyle, 100 backstroke and 200 medley relay in the process. Â
The number of student-athletes qualifying for nationals has improved each year under Karns with four making the trip in 2014. When Sarah Kennis and Montana Clasby qualified in 2014, it was the first time Lewis sent more than one women to nationals since 2003.
Karns has 36 years of experience as a swimming coach and is certified as a Level 5 coach by the American Swim Coaches Association. He has coached NCAA All-Americans, High School All-Americans, Junior and Senior National Qualifiers and Olympic Trials Qualifiers throughout his distinguished career. He is the chair of the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving National Championship Committee.
Before Lewis, Karns served as assistant coach at Grand Valley State University from 2008-11. Karns helped the Laker men's and women's teams to top-10 finishes at the NCAA Division II National Championships in each of his three seasons. Individually, Grand Valley State earned 200 All-America Awards during Karns’ tenure.
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He was also influential in helping Grand Valley State to a pair of Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships. The men won in 2010 while the women took home the title in 2009.
Before arriving at Grand Valley State, Karns was the head swimming coach at Wawasee High School in Syracuse, Indiana from 1989-2008 where his teams amassed a 359-130-2 dual meet record. Karns guided Wawasee to nine boys and three girls Indiana Sectional team championships. Wawasee finished second in the Indiana State meet in 1994, seventh in 1993, 10th in 1997 and 2003. In addition, Wawasee claimed four Northern Lakes Conference girls titles and three boys crowns. Individually, Karns coached 17 NISCA High School All-Americans, three state champions and four that earned runner-up honors. Karns was named Northern Lakes Conference and Indiana Sectional Coach of the Year 18 times. Prior to Wawasee, Karns was the head coach at NorthWood (Ind.) High School from 1983-89.
Karns graduated from Ball State University with a bachelor's degree in education in 1980 and earned a master's in education in from Indiana University-South Bend in 1990. Karns was a two-year letterwinner in swimming at Ball State (1975-76) and was a part of a then record-setting 800 free relay team.
Roger and his wife, Vicki, have three children: Laura, Tyler and Lydia.
