The University of Wisconsin swimming & diving program is retaining Jennah Haney under its new coaching staff – a rare occurrence at the NCAA Division I level when a new head coach is brought in from outside of the program.
Wisconsin’s new head coach Dr. Jack Brown confirmed the news to SwimSwam on Tuesday. He said he didn’t know Haney well before arriving in Madison but noted they had many mutual friends and that he instantly connected with her and knew they would work well together.
Haney, a Wisconsin alum, joined the coaching staff in 2018 when the prior head coach Yuri Suguiyama took over the program, and has spent the last seven seasons with the Badgers.
Prior to joining the Wisconsin staff, she also spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Akron (2016-2018), a year as an assistant coach at T2 Aquatics in Florida (2015-2016), and a year as a coach with the Madison-based Badger Aquatic Club (2014-2015).
As an athlete, Haney was a four year letter winner for Wisconsin who specialized in breaststroke and IM races. She was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and won the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award as a freshman.
Haney has focused on middle distance and stroke coaching, including working with arguably the program’s best-ever swimmer Beata Nelson. Nelson was a five-time Big Ten Champion, a former NCAA Record holder in the 100 yard backstroke, and the 2019 CSCAA Women’s Swimmer of the Year and Big Ten Swimmer of the Year.
Haney is another Wisconsin alum returning to a program that has always leaned into their alumni network for coaches. She joins a staff that includes Johno Fergusson, who is married to another Wisconsin swimming great Maggie (Meyer) Fergusson.
Other new hires by Brown include assistant coach Ted Patton and diving coach Andrew Capobianco. The Badgers still plan to bring in one more assistant coach for next season to match the six-coach staff they had last year.
An excellent coach and in the relationship with the swimmers, it’s really very good that she’s staying.