New Head Coaches Bring Leadership, Experience, and Shared Commitment to Norwich

Norwich University Athletics will welcome three new head coaches during the 2026-27 academic year, bringing accomplished coaching backgrounds, distinctive professional experiences, and a shared commitment to developing student-athletes as competitors, students, and leaders.

Carrick Pell has been selected to lead the Norwich men’s rugby program, Amy Youmell will take over the women’s volleyball program, and Ron Lee II will guide the University’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams.

The three coaches arrive in Northfield from different regions and levels of competition, but each emphasized Norwich’s mission, community, and approach to leadership as central reasons for pursuing the opportunity.

Pell Begins New Chapter for Norwich Men’s Rugby

Pell comes to Norwich after a highly successful tenure as head coach of the Babson College men’s rugby program. He succeeds Bob Weggler, who retired after 25 years leading the Cadets and more than four decades of collegiate coaching service.

“We are very excited to have Carrick Pell join us as our Men’s Rugby Head Coach,” Norwich University Director of Athletics Ed Hockenbury said. “Following the remarkable 25-year career of Bob Weggler is no easy task, but Carrick is a great fit for Norwich, and I am confident he will carry on Coach Weggler’s legacy of championship-level rugby and developing young men of character and integrity.”

Pell served as Babson’s head coach beginning in 2012, helping transform the program from a challenging starting point into a nationally competitive team that rose from Division 4 to Division I-AA.

Babson captured National Collegiate Rugby national championships in both 15s and 7s in 2023, winning the NCR Small College National 7s Championship in the spring before adding the 15s national title later that year.

The program continued its ascent under Pell by earning multiple New England Rugby Football Union Final Four appearances, reaching the 2024 Premier Division semifinals, and finishing as a Division I-AA top-10 team nationally in 2025.

Pell’s impact also extended beyond competition. He helped rebuild alumni engagement, establish recruiting pipelines, develop corporate partnerships, and improve the program’s infrastructure. Babson produced three NCR All-Americans and more than 100 NCR Scholastic All-Americans during his tenure.

“When people ask what it means to have been selected as the Head Men’s Rugby Coach at Norwich University, the answer is simple: it is incredibly humbling,” Pell said. “I started dreaming about becoming a full-time college rugby coach in 2016 when I stepped away from competitive playing and devoted more of my time and energy to coaching at Babson.

“Because of the efforts of The Scrum Alum, the support of Norwich University, and the legacy Coach Bob Weggler has built over 25 years, Norwich Rugby has become one of the premier coaching opportunities in collegiate rugby. To be entrusted with leading this program is truly the opportunity of a lifetime. The fact that it is Norwich makes it almost surreal.”

Pell also brings a leadership background shaped by military service. He served in the United States Marine Corps as a reconnaissance Marine from 1989 to 1993, including during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He later served in the United States Air Force from 1999 to 2003 as a meteorologist supporting mission planning and operational weather analysis.

That standards-driven experience has become central to his coaching philosophy.

“My mission is simple: to develop better men, because better men become better rugby players, and ultimately better leaders, teammates, husbands, fathers, officers, and citizens,” Pell said. “Rugby just happens to be the most fun way. Rugby will always be the vehicle, but the destination is something much greater.”

Pell inherits a Norwich program that qualified for 16 national tournaments across 15s and 7s during Weggler’s tenure. Since joining National Collegiate Rugby in 2021, Norwich has advanced to four consecutive Sweet 16s and Elite 8s, including national Final Four appearances in 2021 and 2024.

Assistant Coach Austin Manhey ’19, a former Norwich standout who has played a significant role in the Cadets’ recent success, will remain with the program.

Youmell Brings Broad Coaching Experience to Women’s Volleyball

Youmell joins Norwich with experience across the NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and high school levels. She succeeds Karin Parkhurst ’96, who led the Cadets for the previous two seasons.

“In announcing the exciting news about the hire of Amy Youmell as the next head coach of women’s volleyball, I want to first thank Karin Parkhurst ’96 for her effort, dedication, and contributions to our volleyball program,” Hockenbury said. “I’m confident Amy will follow in her footsteps in leading the team with energy and passion while supporting our student-athletes as volleyball players, students, and in their military pursuits.”

Youmell began her collegiate coaching career at the University of Massachusetts Boston in 2021, serving as an assistant coach for a Beacons program that captured its 10th Little East Conference championship and earned an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

She assisted with practice planning, opponent scouting, physical conditioning, and player development before accepting her first collegiate head coaching position at Assumption University. Youmell led the Greyhounds’ NCAA Division II program during the 2022 season.

She later served as both the head women’s volleyball coach and head track and field coach at Greenfield High School, continuing to develop her approach to athlete development, physical conditioning, and team culture.

Youmell also holds USA Volleyball CAP I and CAP II certifications.

“Amy brings a wealth of volleyball knowledge and has proven herself as a coach, mentor, and role model in both volleyball and track and field,” Hockenbury said. “She impressed us in the interview process with her thorough preparation and research, along with her recognition of all that makes Norwich a special place.”

For Youmell, the position represents an opportunity to continue growing as a collegiate head coach while supporting Norwich student-athletes in several areas of their development.

“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead the Norwich University women’s volleyball program,” Youmell said. “This is an exciting new chapter, and I am honored to join the Norwich community.”

Among her initial priorities will be building relationships with the returning student-athletes, expanding the program’s roster, and creating an environment that balances support with high expectations.

“I look forward to building relationships with our student-athletes and supporting their growth as competitors, students, and leaders,” Youmell said. “Together, we will work to create a positive and challenging environment where our team can continue to develop and proudly represent Norwich University on and off the court.”

Lee Embraces Foundation of Swimming and Diving Success

Lee takes over the Norwich men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs following one of the most successful periods in Norwich Athletics history.

During the previous seven seasons under head coach Jennifer Cournoyer, the Cadets captured nine Great Northeast Athletic Conference championships, including four consecutive men’s and women’s championship sweeps from 2023 through 2026.

The programs also produced NCAA regional qualifiers, individual conference champions, school records, and numerous academic award recipients.

“Our men’s and women’s swimming and diving program has a proud tradition and rich history here at Norwich, including unprecedented competitive success under Head Coach Jennifer Cournoyer,” Hockenbury said. “While following Jen will be no easy task, Ron Lee is a great fit for us, and I’m excited to announce his hire.”

Lee arrives in Northfield after spending 13 years leading the Amarillo Independent School District swimming program in Texas. As district-wide swimming coordinator and head coach, he oversaw a four-campus program serving more than 100 student-athletes annually.

Lee increased the program’s number of regional qualifiers from eight to 54 in five years despite limited facility access. His teams won five district championships and recorded two regional runner-up finishes while producing state medalists, state finalists, team record holders, and future NCAA Division I and Division II student-athletes.

He also served as co-director and head coach of Amarillo Swim Team, a USA Swimming club serving approximately 100 swimmers between the ages of 8 and 18. His responsibilities included recruiting athletes, developing assistant coaches, managing budgets and facilities, coordinating travel, and overseeing long-term athlete development.

In addition to his coaching career, Lee has spent more than a decade as an educator, teaching International Baccalaureate History, AP European History, AP Psychology, and other humanities courses.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in Sports and Exercise Science from West Texas A&M University and a Master of Theological Studies from Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary, where his graduate work emphasized theological formation and ethics. He was an Olympic Torchbearer during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.

Lee said Norwich’s commitment to character, service, education, and leadership strongly aligned with his own approach to coaching and teaching.

“I am both excited and incredibly humbled by the opportunity to lead the Norwich swimming and diving teams,” Lee said. “The more I learn about Norwich, the more impressed I become. Norwich has a storied history rich in character, service, and excellence where success matures from a community committed to the formation of leaders. Success is rarely accidental, it is patterned, and my attraction to Norwich grew out of this shared commitment.”

Lee does not view his new position as a rebuilding effort. Instead, he plans to build upon the foundation established by Cournoyer and Assistant Coach Chris Delmas while developing relationships with current student-athletes and program alumni.

“The Norwich swimming and diving teams already have a pattern for success, and I feel a profound gratitude that Ed Hockenbury has entrusted me with serving these student-athletes and continuing the excellence they have built,” Lee said. “My goal is not to rebuild, but to extend and sharpen a culture already committed to excellence. I can only do this because of the remarkable foundation Coach Jennifer Cournoyer and Coach Chris Delmas have established, and it is with tremendous gratitude to them that my work of service begins. I cannot wait to meet our team, connect with our alumni, and begin the next chapter of Norwich Swimming together.”

Three Coaches Begin New Chapters at Norwich

Pell, Youmell, and Lee inherit programs at different stages of development.

Pell and Lee will follow successful coaches who established strong competitive traditions and lasting cultures within their programs. Youmell will lead a young women’s volleyball team seeking to expand its roster, strengthen its competitive standing, and establish momentum for the future.

Each new coach, however, arrives with experience developing athletes, building relationships, and creating team cultures grounded in accountability and personal growth.

Pell will begin competition with the men’s rugby program in September, while Youmell and the women’s volleyball team will open their season in late August. Lee will arrive in Northfield later this summer and begin preparing the swimming and diving programs for the 2026-27 season.