Auburn to Name Penn State Head Coach John Hargis as New Top Assistant

Auburn has filled the vacant spot in their men’s and women’s coaching staffs with a significant hiring – Penn State head coach John Hargis. The deal becomes official and is expected to be announced next week, though both programs were informed of the decision on Saturday.

Hargis will take over as the associate head coach of both the men’s and women’s teams, filling the role left when Frank Bradley was named the head coach at Florida State.

Auburn is widely viewed as one of the top assistant coaching jobs in the country, both in terms of compensation and opportunity, as evidenced by Hargis giving up a head coaching role at a Big Ten, top-25 type program in Penn State.

Hargis and Auburn head coach Brett Hawke were teammates on the Tigers’ 1997 NCAA Championship team. Nearly the entire Auburn swimming coaching staff (Hawke, Hargis, Richard Long, Demarae Christensen, and strength coach Bryan Karkoska) are now alumni. Sam Busch went to Arizona, and Bradley, who Hargis replaces, is a Florida State alum.

Prior to being the head coach at Penn State, he spent a few years as the head coach of the Arkansas Dolphins club, and as the head coach of Arkansas-Little Rock. Prior to that, he was a Penn State assistant, and before that was an assistant at UNLV.

As a swimmer, Hargis was an Olympic gold medalist as the prelims butterfly leg on the 400 medley relay at the 1996 Olympics, and was on an NCAA/US Open Record setting 200 yard medley relay.

Hargis’ men’s team finished 20th at last year’s NCAA Championships, and his women were 29th. The Auburn women were 8th and their men were 13th.

Hargis’ Penn State teams had great success, especially at the Big Ten Championships where the women were 3rd last year, though at times they had issues carrying their taper through to NCAAs. 17 of his swimmers swam at the 2012 US Olympic Trials, and he coached Patrick Schirk to a World University Games silver medal in his first year as the head coach of Penn State in 2009.

Among the returning swimmers awaiting the new Penn State head coach are a group of promising young women’s freestylers in Carolyn Fittin, Megan Siverling, and 2013 Big Ten 200 free champion (as just a freshman) Alyson Ackman, who appears to be one of the country’s best under-the-radar prospects.

The men’s team also returns a strong group that was in the top 15 two-thirds of the way through NCAAs. They will be led by junior Nate Savoy, who scored in the B final of both the 100 and 200 back at NCAAs last year.

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PSUINSIDER
10 years ago

All PSU swimming/diving coaches were fired on Wednesday 7/24… except for one: Liz (Klink) McMillan. Thad, Aaron and diving coach “Brownie” are gone. (The other Aaron left at the end of June.) Unless Liz gets the gig, PSU will hire outside for its new head swim coach and that person will select his/her own team of assistants and the diving coach.

10 years ago

I would not be surprised to see another great coach make it back to Auburn in the near future! War Eagle!!

WSY_Alum
10 years ago

As someone who swam for Mike 11 years ago, and now coaches outside good ole PA, I am quite certain that Mike is not interested in moving to the college scene. If he did, he would most likely take a paycut. …….

ndb
10 years ago

Not saying mike doesn’t do a nice job with his team but that would be a real jump. There are so many programs in pa with great coaches. Michael brooks for one at York y. Though I am not saying he should be considered or would even want to leavehis present situation.

Abe Froman
Reply to  ndb
10 years ago

So Brooksy is less of a reach than Gobrecht? Not sure I see that logic. Of all the coaches in PA, perhaps the only candidate I could see making an immediate jump to an Asst position at a major d1 institution is Fastrich. He’s done some sweet things (pun intended), but still not a candidate for head coach.

Take a look at the current PSU staff…aside from the accomplishments of the aforementioned Workman, Thad Schultz has extensive experience BOTH collegiately and at the club level and Liz McMillian (nee Klink) has been in the college ranks virtually her entire coaching career including stints at Virginia Tech and Florida State.

You don’t have to be the sausage king of Chicago… Read more »

NDB
Reply to  Abe Froman
10 years ago

Abe – I agree that the staff at Penn State has some serious credentials. I was just suggesting that Gobrecht would not be on the top of my list as far as Pennsylvania club coaches are concerned. You asked what kind of logic I am using? I will inform you.

612 – 22. That is how much the York Y outscored the West Shore Y at SC Y Nats this year.

This girls 800 free really anchored by a 14 year splitting 1:45
A – Final
1 York And York County YMCA 7:17.82 7:14.17*
1) Courtney Harnish 13 2) Emily Ilgenfritz 15
3) Niki Price 17 4) Meghan Small 14
25.48 53.39 (53.39) 1:21.39 (1:21.39)… Read more »

Abe Froman
10 years ago

While we’re on the topic of drop dead hot swim coach wives, there’s another reason to bring up current PSU asst Aaron Workman…except he already lives there!

Abe Froman
10 years ago

Gobrecht wasn’t even at 2012 trials…none of his athletes made it. He is a good coach and, as you put it, “has a charismatic attitude” but when ranking clubs in MA (let alone the country), WSY is likely not even in the top 10. A few elite athletes over the past few years + tech wizardry does not make for a compelling HC candidate at a major D1 university

Jim Beam
Reply to  Abe Froman
10 years ago

Based on what I have seen……he (MG) has a drop dead hot wife (or mabe girlfriend) and I am not sure he is looking to uproot his family to move into a college situation

PA Swim Fan
10 years ago

I’d love to see Mike Gobrecht from West Shore Y get some interest for the PSU job. The guy knows his stuff and has a charismatic attitude that could help take the program to the next level.

PA Swim Fan
Reply to  PA Swim Fan
10 years ago

Plus I beleive he had 17 athletes at the last Olympic Trials. Not to shabby.

JJ
10 years ago

As a PSU fan i am glad to see Hargis go. His biggest problem is an inability to communicate with athletes. Good luck Auburn.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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