2025 Division I NCAA Runner-Up Mackenzie Miller of BYU has entered the transfer portal. Miller made history two weeks ago becoming BYU’s first All-American since 1991. She has one year of eligibility remaining as she just finished her junior season.
Miller made huge strides this past season under first year head coach Tamber McAllister. Prior to this season, Miller had never earned an invite to NCAAs. This season, she finished 2nd in the 200 breast in a lifetime best 2:05.03 and was 7th in the 100 breast in a 58.39. Miller notably swam the top time in prelims of the 200 breast with a 2:06.12 to swim out of lane 4.
Time Progression
| High School | Freshman | Sophomore | Junior | |
| 100 breast | 1:01.39 | 1:01.06 | 1:00.30 | 58.14 |
| 200 breast | 2:13.00 | 2:11.94 | 2:10.98 | 2:05.03 |
| 200 IM | 2:03.64 | 2:03.57 | 2:02.86 | 1:57.62 |
Miller’s 29 points at 2025 NCAAs are the most in the 21st century for the school. It also earned the school a 23rd place finish overall. She was the only NCAA qualifier for BYU on either the men’s or women’s side.
She becomes the latest NCAA qualifier to enter the transfer portal as Macky Hodges has already announced her transfer from USC to Indiana while NCAA Champion Bella Sims of Florida entered the portal yesterday. The transfer portal closes on Apirl 25th for women’s swimming and diving.
Entering the transfer portal does not require a student-athlete to transfer rather it allows for the student-athlete to discuss with other coaches about the possibility of transferring. On rare occasions, the student-athlete returns to their original school.
pretty sad for BYU that their top NCAA qualifier are all entering the portal first Tiffany and now Miller. It makes you wonder if something is going on behind the scenes with the new coaching staff that is causing the best swimmers of the program to leave after the new coach took over.
Tamber is doing a PHENOMENAL job. Anyone who knows Tamber knows just how good she is. Life happens, and personal decisions aren’t always reflections of internal issues. BYU is incredibly fortunate to have the staff they do:)
JT was very open about his process too. He could’ve left them high and dry after last year when the new staff came in, but gave them another year as an undergrad.
Semantic thing but the BYU swim Instagram account calls her Mackenzie Miller Lung so do we do the same thing now? Is this like Blaire Anderson where we kept calling her Blaire Bachmann until A&M announced her as Blaire Anderson?
If I recall correctly, in the heat sheets she’s entered as Miller, so it makes sense to use the names from her swim entries.
True but that might just be an NCAA registration thing if it happened after the year started. I don’t think they are allowed to formally change their names during the middle of the season, but I could be wrong
She got married in September 2023, so her name change didn’t occur midseason this year.
She’s Mackenzie Miller Lung on the BYU swimming roster website.
Good for Miller.
But this is not a great trend. Almost de-incentivizes non-juggernaut programs to develop their swimmers into national title contenders. Because the faster they get, the more likely a power money program is going to be able to steal them away. The Carle Fierro phenomenon is fun to watch with the blossoming age groupers, not the fully-formed adult athletes simultaneously getting an education.
There are plenty of programs that develop swimmers and have them stay; just because we see these stories of insane growth curves and then a transfer doesn’t mean it is a trend.
That’s why building a great culture is also important. You need to give these swimmers a reason to stay as well. I will say transferring your senior year is an interesting decision though.
“just because we see this thing happening more and more doesn’t mean it’s actually a trend” is not a great argument.
I’m sorry, but since when can you transfer for just your senior year of college (outside of the COVID uncertainties and exceptions)? I thought the same thing when I saw Baylor Nelson enter the portal yesterday. Don’t most universities only accept people transferring in as sophomores or juniors?
Also, with only one year left, why would you want to transfer for your senior year?
BYU is pretty unique. I’m guessing most people choose to go there for reasons not directly related to athletics. Also guessing that some people choose to leave for reasons not directly related to athletics.
It looks like she is married to someone who is not a BYU student. So possible they are relocating together?
BYU culture is unique.
rumors swirling around involving this
Maybe something happened between them?
I don’t know any of these folks personally, but it could just be the normal dual-career questions that young (not usually quite this young) married couples face. E.g., he got a really sweet job offer in city X, so she’s testing the waters (maybe even with the blessing of her current coach) to see if there are any opportunities to swim and finish college in city X.
The part that’s unique is that BYU has a lot more married and religiously devout undergraduate students than most places.
In the portal era, people transfer no matter how many years they have left. You see it all the time in football and basketball. It is what it is.
I don’t have much to add other than “Tamber McAllister” has excellent mouth feel.
Might replace “the human torch was denied a bank loan” as my vocal warmup phrase.
Breaststroke U?
Iron Forge Valley Peninsula Dragon Eaters, I might think
Grana, Miller, Shackell, Paegle has a nice 200 and 400 Medley Ring to it.
not gonna win anything tho
UVA is much more deserving of the “Breaststroke U” moniker than Indiana (in regards to women)
yes, past 5 years-
UVA douglass, nocentini, a.walsh, wenger, weber, e.nelson
vs Indiana?
Miller appears to be a devout Mormon, this is pretty shocking
Devout Mormons like money too.
How much money are we talking about here, reallly?
Devout is quite the stretch
Why?
John Shoe has heard some of the rumors
It is Miller Time (like the beer, I enjoy Having those on My screened in porch. My wife, Moreen, said we Would never use it but My friends And I play poker Outside
On it almost Every Weeknight as we Drink beers).
Randy
In like a couple months can someone just randomly reply to a comment I make with a link to this comment?
I’ll want to see it again.
Hi Steve,
Better Yet, come hang out on the porch and have a beer, or two. Sometimes my friends and I have 3!
Randy
Thanks Randy.