Auburn Tigers swimming and diving

Auburn Tigers
Founded1932[1]
Head coachRyan Wochomurka[2]
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
LocationAuburn, AL
Home poolJames E. Martin Aquatics Center
ColorsBurnt orange and navy blue[3]
   
Men's NCAA Champions
1997, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Women's NCAA Champions
2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007
Men's Conference Champions
1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Women's Conference Champions
2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008

The Auburn Tigers swimming and diving program is Auburn University's representative in the sport of swimming and diving. The Tigers compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 and are members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The program started in 1932 when the pool was in the basement of the gymnasium. The program had to telegraph their timed results to other schools and compare as the pool was too small for competitions.[1]

The Tigers' first national champion was Scott Spann Sr, who won the 200m Individual Medley in 1978.[1] The women's team became a full NCAA sport in 1982.[1] David Marsh was hired in 1990 and he would make Auburn into a national powerhouse.[1]

Under Marsh the program won a combined twelve NCAA championships. The men have won eight (1997, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009)[4] while the women have won five (2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007).[5] David Marsh stepped down at the end of the 2006-2007 season. He was replaced by former Auburn, Texas Longhorns and Stanford University head coach Richard Quick.[6] The Tiger men won the 2009 national championship, the 8th for the men and 13th total for the program.[7] In May 2009 assistant coach Brett Hawke was promoted to co-head coach to run the program together with Quick.[8] On June 10, Coach Quick died after a six-month struggle with brain cancer.[6] In March 2018, following the conclusion of the NCAA men's and women's championships, Hawke informed the team he would be resigning as the head coach after 10 seasons.[9] On April 28, 2018 NC State Wolfpack assistant swimming coach Gary Taylor was named the eighth head coach of the program.[10][11] Following the 2021 NCAA Championships in which the men's and women's teams failed to score any points, Auburn and Taylor mutually decided to part ways. Auburn athletics director Allen Greene announced a national search for Taylor's successor would begin immediately.[12] On April 23, 2021 Auburn announced former Auburn swimmer Ryan Wochomurka was hired to be the new head coach of both the men's and women's teams.[2]

Auburn has regularly been represented in the Olympic games, with a University record eighteen swimmers at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games where five Auburn Tigers won a record twelve medals. At the same Olympics, Kirsty Coventry won her seventh Olympic medal to replace Auburn alumnus and NBC swimming commentator Rowdy Gaines at the top of the Auburn roster of Olympic medallists. Also in the Beijing games César Cielo Filho became the first Auburn swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal in the 50m Free Style event.[13]

  1. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference AUS&DHIST was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b "Auburn Hires Houston's Ryan Wochomurka as New Head Coach". 23 April 2021.
  3. ^ "About Auburn". March 28, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference 5thstraight was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference AUWomen was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b "Auburn Swimming Coach Richard Quick Passes Away". Auburn University Athletics Department. Archived from the original on 2013-01-20. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  7. ^ "Auburn Claims Eighth NCAA Men's Swimming And Diving Title". Auburn University Athletics Department. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  8. ^ "Brett Hawke named Co-Head Coach of Auburn's Men's and Women's Swimming Programs". Auburn University Athletics Department. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
  9. ^ Keith, Braden (29 March 2018). "BRETT HAWKE RESIGNS AS AUBURN HEAD COACH". Swim Swam. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  10. ^ Gibbs, Robert (29 April 2018). "Auburn to Name NC State's Gary Taylor as New Head Coach". Swim Swam. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  11. ^ "Coaching History". AuburnTigers.com. Auburn University. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  12. ^ "Auburn, swimming and diving coach Gary Taylor mutually agree to part ways".
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference Olympics08B was invoked but never defined (see the help page).