Swanstrom will be formally introduced to the Cornell community on Friday, Dec. 8 at 11:30 a.m. at a press conference in the Hall of Fame Room overlooking Schoellkopf Field. The event will be broadcast live on CornellBigRed.com.

"I would like to thank Nicki Moore for the opportunity to be the next head football coach at Cornell. My family and I couldn't be more excited to come back home to Ithaca," Swanstrom said. "I truly believe that everything I have done in my personal and professional life has led me to this opportunity, and I look forward to creating a championship culture on and off the field. The passion for Cornell Football was very apparent during the interview process and gives me great confidence in the future. As I begin a new chapter, I also want to thank Penn, Ithaca College, and Johns Hopkins for preparing me every step of the way. I can't wait to get started."

"In Dan Swanstrom we have found a coach and leader who has been a change agent for competitive success and student-athlete thriving wherever he has been," Moore said. "He leads with intentionality, passion, intelligence, and character. Coach Swanstrom's championship pedigree and dedication to high standards, coupled with his drive to coach at the highest level where excellence in academics and athletics are equally valued and pursued, made him stand out in a very strong pool of candidates. I'm excited to begin introducing him to the Big Red's loyal student-athletes, students, alumni and fans.

"I am very pleased to welcome Dan Swanstrom to the Big Red Family as our new head football coach," said Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi. "It was obvious in meeting him that Dan is smart, strategic, and extremely passionate about the game. He has a consistent history of winning both on and off the field, and I am confident that he will help Cornell football achieve new heights. Dan is a meticulous planner who understands how having the right culture in the locker room contributes to success on the field. He has had success in all of his previous coaching endeavors, and I look forward to watching that continue for the Big Red."

"Our Big Red teams bring an energy to campus that helps to create a sense of community and shared pride and spirit that bonds Cornellians through the decades," President Martha E. Pollack said. "Coach Swanstrom has already demonstrated his ability to win and to support students at the University of Pennsylvania and right here at neighboring Ithaca College. I look forward to seeing his leadership shape the future of our team while inspiring greatness on and off the field."

Swanstrom spent five seasons as head coach at crosstown Ithaca College, compiling a 32-11 record and winning at least eight games in all four seasons. The Bombers won three Liberty League titles (2017, 2018 and 2021), claimed the ECAC Scotty Whitelaw Bowl title in his first season, and won the Cortaca game three times in four seasons. He played a part in scheduling the 2021 Cortaca game at MetLife Stadium, resulting in breaking the Division III attendance record (45,161). He was also involved in planning efforts the following year to play the contest at Yankee Stadium, surpassing 40,000 fans. His players earned 43 Academic All-District honors and six were named All-Americans, succeeding in and out of the classroom.

Sandwiched around his head coaching stop with the Bombers were a pair of stints at the University of Pennsylvania, first as quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator (2014-16) and later as offensive coordinator (2022-23). Swanstrom was part of the 2015 and 2016 Ivy League championship teams at Penn as an assistant coach. He mentored Alek Torgersen to a pair of first-team All-Ivy nods as the quarterback became Penn's all-time leader in passing touchdowns (52) and total offense (7,937 yards). Torgersen spent time with four NFL teams following his career with the Quakers.

He returned to Philadelphia in 2022 as offensive coordinator, helping the Quakers jump from last to first in the Ancient Eight in total offense over two seasons. Penn set school records for most receptions and longest play from scrimmage in a game and had individuals ranked among the top five nationally in passing and receptions per contest. In his first season back, the Quakers improved by five wins (from 3-5 in 2021 to 8-2 in 2022) and finished second in the final Ivy League standings at 5-2, a year removed from a 1-6 season.

After moving from assistant coach to associate head coach for Jim Margraff's powerful Johns Hopkins teams from 2008-13, Swanstrom took over as offensive coordinator in just his second year on the sidelines. He helped the team to five conference titles, and he coached four Centennial Conference Offensive Players of the Year. His teams were ranked in the top 10 nationally in total offense three times and paced the conference four consecutive years, averaging better than 500 yards in three different seasons. Nearly every offensive team record in school history was broken during his tenure as the offensive coordinator and the total of individual records surpassed 75 during his tenure. The team also had great success, going 48-10.

While the wins on the field are evident, Swanstrom has been just as successful developing the student-athletes for life after football. His players have gone on to great success in areas from business to medicine, winning academic awards and being honored for service to their communities.

Swanstrom began his coaching journey as an assistant coach at Stratford HS in Texas (2005) where he mentored former NFL No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Luck. He parlayed that success into serving two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Redlands (2006-07). As quarterbacks and wide receivers coach, Swanstrom helped Redlands to the 2007 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title.

A finalist for the Gagliardi Award as one of 10 Division III football players up for national player of the year as a senior, he graduated from Rhodes College in 2004 as the school's all-time leader in career total offense (8,347 yards) and third in passing touchdowns (55). His 2,634 passing yards as a junior when he was named conference co-Offensive Player of the Year was also a school single-season record. The two-time team captain and three-time all-league pick ranked in the top 10 in conference history in total offense, passing yardage, total offense per game and passing touchdowns. He was inducted into the college's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019.

Following his collegiate career, Swanstrom played in the German Football League with the Darmstadt Diamonds, leading the team to a conference title.

A 2005 Rhodes College graduate who earned a Master's in 2008 at the University of Redlands, Swanstrom and his wife Kristin, have three children – a son, Harrison, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Josephine.