Phoebe Bacon will remain at the University of Wisconsin after the Badgers’ coaching change, she confirmed to SwimSwam on Tuesday.
Bacon, who grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, cited the retention of assistant coach Jennah Haney and a quick connection with new head coach Jack Brown for her decision.
“Ultimately when it came down to what my next year will hold I felt that staying here at Wisconsin, I’d get a lot of new stimulus with Jack as well as the rest of the coaching staff that’s coming in, but I’d also get some familiarity with the team that I’ve had for the past five years and one of the assistants, Jennah Haney was rehired and I trust her,” Bacon said. “I trust Jack and I’m just excited and happy to be here, especially being able to train with my younger brother for another year.”
Bacon’s younger brother Finn Bacon is a rising sophomore on the Wisconsin men’s team.
While Phoebe Bacon said that she didn’t know Brown, who came from the University of North Carolina, before his hiring, she felt like they connected quickly.
“Right from the moment I did meet him I really liked his energy,” Bacon told SwimSwam.
Bacon experienced a number of successes in her five seasons under previous head coach Yuri Suguiyama, who left after the NCAA Championships to take a role with the USA Swimming National Team. Haney is the only one of the five coaches announced by the Badgers so far to remain from that staff.
Bacon was the 2022 World Aquatics Championships silver medalist in the 200 backstroke, and also won a pair of relay gold medals at the 2024 World Short Course Swimming Championships.
Collegiately, she won the 2021 and 2024 NCAA Championships in the 200 back, was the 2024 and 2025 Big Ten Swimmer of the Championship, 2023 Big Ten Swimmer of the Year, and 2021 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
The 5th-ranked recruit in the high school class of 2020, Bacon began her freshman year of college just a few weeks after her 18th birthday. That means that in spite of using five years of eligibility, she is still only 22. She graduated in May with a degree in Health Promotion & Health Equity and was a member of the CSC Women’s Swimming & Diving Academic All-America First Team.
After missing the World Championship team this year in the 200 backstroke, her best event, Bacon earned a surprise ticket in the 200 IM, finishing 2nd at the U.S. World Championship Trials. Defending Olympic gold medalist Kate Douglass scratched that event at Trials, opening up a second spot next to Alex Walsh, who became the heavy favorite.
Bacon spoke with SwimSwam amid packing and preparing to depart for the United States’ pre-championship training camp later this week.
Bacon says that her goal is to train for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, though she acknowledged that “life can take twists and turns, so I never know when something may change.”
Really surprised she is opting to stay in Madison and train with who even knows as opposed to somewhere like Austin or Charlottesville
Kinda surprised by this, as Yuri was the reason she went to Wisconsin in the first place. Was fully expecting her to follow him to CO. Glad she’s happy where she is!
Could he actually still coach her if she went, with the new role?
That’s a Braden question idk – I have seen some people saying they might bring back a permanent training group in CO Springs? But I think it’s all speculation.
I wouldn’t be surprised, there’s a lot of fast swimmers there all the time now.
Great picture selection. I feel like it sums up Phoebe pretty well
Shoutout Phoebe for sticking to what’s worked and made her happy. So often people go to a flashy new destination, but she is happy staying in Madison. Good for her
In Phoebe’s case the best is yet to come!
My brother swam one year at Wisconsin, 2018-2019 and Phoebe was on the team.
Cool to see Phoebe keep swimming.
Except that Phoebe joined in fall of 2020.
Never mind I was thinking of Beata Nelson…. Whoops.
Kate didn’t win gold at the Olympics in the IM
Is Phoebe Bacon not noteworthy enough to be name dropped in the article title that “World Championships Silver Medalist” had to be used instead?
Kinda weird but so is an entire – “this just in – this athlete will continue being where they are” story now that I think about it. (I get that it’s worth a post tho!)
This comment (a) agrees with a fellow commenter (“cheese”), (b) offers a humorous Onion-style alternate title (“this just in…”), and (c) acknowledges the relevance of the article itself (“worth a post [though]”)…but still receives over 20 down votes. That’s wild. 😆
Which silver medalist I wonder