Following her recent graduation, Indiana All-American and Big Ten champion Noelle Peplowski is staying with the Hoosiers. IU head swimming and diving coach Ray Looze announced Friday morning that the 23-year-old Peplowski has joined the IU coaching staff as an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s swimming programs.
She's back! 😁@noellepeplowski has joined our staff as an assistant swimming coach!
More: https://t.co/lHxOKLw2ro pic.twitter.com/8Dl8iUubtE
— Indiana Swim & Dive (@IndianaSwimDive) June 2, 2023
Peplowski competed for the Hoosiers for the past five seasons and graduated this spring with a degree in sports marketing and management. During her five-year stint as an athlete at IU, Peplowski was an 11-time All-American, notably having qualified for the ‘A’ final in the 200 breast at three of the four NCAA Championships she competed in. This past season was arguably Peplowski’s greatest of her IU career, wherein she became the second-fastest 200 breaststroker in program history (behind Lilly King) with a 2:05.52, won her first individual Big Ten title in the 200 breast, and earned a fifth-place finish in the 200 breast at NCAAs, which was her highest individual NCAAs finish of her career.
On top of her 200 breaststroke accomplishments, Peplowski is the fourth-fastest 100 breaststroker in IU program history (58.91), the sixth-fastest 200 IM’er in program history (1:55.37), and the ninth-fastest 400 IM’er in program history (4:08.79). At last summer’s (2022) U.S. Summer Nationals, Peplowski notched a fourth-place finish in the LCM 200 breast with her lifetime best performance of 2:27.44. That time made her the tenth-fastest American in the event in 2022.
Speaking on the hire, Looze said in part “She [Peplowski] has been one of our all-time best athletes over the last five years, and she has the make-up, intelligence and foundation to become an outstanding coach.” Looze added he believes her experiences in swimming will translate immediately into her coaching career.
“I want to thank Coach Looze along with the rest of the staff for providing this opportunity to continue my journey, now outside of the pool. I’m excited for the challenge,” Peplowski said in her statement. “Spending the last five years as a student-athlete here have proved how special the environment is here in Bloomington. The culture, tradition of success and high expectations are unmatched.”
Peplowski will now be on the coaching staff overseeing her younger sister, Anna Peplowski. The younger Peplowski just completed her sophomore season with the Hoosiers, wherein she was named the Women’s Big Ten Swimmer of the Meet, earned All-American honors in the 200 free, and won the ‘B’ final of the 200 back at NCAAs. More recently, the younger Peplowski dropped a 1:57.02 200 free at the Indy Spring Cup, making her the #2 American in the event this year at the time this article was posted.
Best of luck to Noelle. I’m sure she has a lot to offer to the other swimmers. I do agree that we need to have more women coaches but there’s a fine line between accomplishing this while also hiring the best candidate. And regardless of what the job is, it’s difficult to go from a peer to a supervisor and have it go smoothly. The respect factor from teammates to a fellow teammate is a lot different than it is to a coach.
As a woman and an athlete, I support IU hiring a female athlete. It’s unfortunate that it is so threatening for you.
Less that it’s threatening and more that there a question marks about what qualities programs are looking for in the hiring process.
There are very qualified women who apply for these kinds of positions, (as well as qualified men), and so one does do a bit of a head scratcher when looking at fresh-out-of-college choices for new assistants.
Is it a knock on Noelle? I don’t think so. I’d say it’s actually more of an eyebrow raise at the program leadership.
I think the frustration comes when people who are as qualified or more qualified (in a traditional sense of having paid the dues / climbed the ladder) wondering what “it” is that a fresh out of college… Read more »
I don’t think the hiring of a woman is threatening. I think that part is exactly as it should be.
I think it’s an eyebrow raise at what the coaching staff is looking for.
A fresh-from-college coach at the same institution has the advantage of knowing the program and being able to speak authentically to that experience but what else do they bring to the table?
No recruiting expertise, no administrative experience, they only know the one way the program does things (training), they only know the way a program acts (culture), they’re not likely going to be comfortable debating anything with a former coach.
So the question becomes…what is a program looking for / wanting when… Read more »
I understand your perspective and realize this hire may be disappointing to other coaches who have put in the work and are struggling to progress their career. However, this seems like a really smart move by IU. The coaching staff already knows Noelle’s work ethic and personality, and Noelle has existing bonds with swimmers that should have an impact on team culture.
The program had several recent years of disastrous assistant/associate coaching situations that inevitably impacted the team culture. Things seem to have settled the past couple years and there are 4 other coaches with a wealth of experience that have built a program that consistantly improves swimmers. This seems like a safe hire that will contribute to a better… Read more »
Whether it’s a smart hire always depends on the criteria used for hiring, right? Grabbing the most qualified electrician for a plumbing gig doesn’t make sense. Likewise, if the goal is someone who won’t rock the boat, this does make a ton of sense, but less if the goal is to build a broadly skilled and diversified staff.
I love debating this kind of thing (could go off on labor and pay of CEOs and minimum wage too), so appreciate you bearing with my loud opinions.
I am hopeful that things pan out well for all involved. It is good to see more women in the coaching ranks.
i think what has happened last decade i think it would also good hire people outside, otherwise same culture as before continues….
no experience..just like Margo!
all fairness one is a HC who is going to be in charge of the whole thing and the other is more entry level
How else do you get experience?
There are plenty of mid-major programs or bottom level P5 programs that would love this hire. Many mid-major coaches with years of experience are losing these jobs to females with no experience simply because they are female.
And female coaches WITH experience are losing out to the untested who have none, too.
SwimSwam comment section: “we need to see more female coaches!”
Also SwimSwam comment section: “this girl isn’t qualified and shouldn’t be coaching!”
there are COUNTLESS other qualified women that applied for this position that deserve it more.
all fairness this is a pretty big job
but it’s not like we hadn’t seen a P5 program hire a swimmer with no prior formal coaching experience to be an assistant coach
Not sure people are saying she shouldn’t be coaching. More that she’s landed a gig that many coaches DREAM of and work for many years to have a shot at.
There’s been an accepted path to the upper echelons of the swim world for some time:
1) swim
2A) volunteer
2B) be a paid assistant at a D3/D2/mid major D1
3) jockey for position across divisions / always trying to move up until you get…
4) Head coach (D2/3) or Associate Head (D1)
5) Head coach at Big School
Someone landing a big time gig at a major program without putting in the time is bound to rub some people the wrong way, especially… Read more »
Congratulations to Noelle. She is such a great human being, I know she will be an excellent coach.
There are so few women in coaching at any level in swimming. For the last few years, whenever USASwimming has announced a coaching staff led entirely by men I have been disappointed. How are girls and young women supposed to see themselves in the sport if they are led almost entirely by men? We, as a community, should be celebrating and supporting capable women, like Noelle, who are given an opportunity to coach.
Exactly what programs are you referring to that are entirely male led? It seems that the current trend is to hire for diversity rather than meritocracy. Even if she has some coaching experience, it seems deficient for a power 5 Top 10 program.
I am not talking about NCAA programs only. I am thinking about opportunities for women in coaching more broadly. I just did a quick search and found that most USA Swimming delegations are led by men, with one or two women in an assistant role. One example: look at the 2022 World Champs roster – two men as the head coaches, 5 men in the assistant role, one women in the assistant role. The only time I can find where this is not the case is for open water swimming. My point is that women will not be promoted to high level positions without experience – the only way to gain experience is to give women opportunities.
I think she’s referring to the USA Swimming international staffs.
Most recent staffs have had at least one woman on them, though it has of course been all-male for a long time.
Well that’s a different discussion. This article specifically relates to an NCAA power 5 school. It should be hiring the most experienced candidates.
Your comment that it’s either diversity or meritocracy suggests a lot about where you are coming from. That type of argument misses the point completely. Women (and coaches with diverse backgrounds) bring an additional level of perspective, understanding, communication skills and value to a team culture — things that many white males that have been in the business for years just don’t have.
In this specific case, Noelle has been a part of the team for 5 years. She has understanding, relationships, respect and clearly has proven herself to be a leader. To add someone with this type of background, who is a woman and can hit the ground running on day 1 is a huge benefit to this team… Read more »
Her degree is in sports marketing and management, so I bet her focus will be on recruiting and NIL opportunities.
One of the best assistant coaches I’ve had was a teammate who got injured his freshman year and went from the water to the deck.
😳🤯❓❓❓❓❓❓⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️📉
No coaching experience and gets a D1 position??? Just because someone is a good swimmer doesn’t make them a good coach. I’ll be surprised if she stays longer than 2 years or the length of her younger sisters swimming career at IU. This is a good move if you don’t want Anna (younger sister) to transfer. Another thought, she just graduated and finished her career at IU are her swimmers going to see her as a coach or teammate?
I do wish her luck because she is now going to see the real side of Ray Looze and it’s not a pretty picture.
Wow, Dennis is Mr. Positive.
This is a surprisingly rationale comment. Agree completely
Ray just wants someone he can control
How would you know if she had coaching experience? Maybe not at the college level, but could have assisted during the summer at the camps. Also – she clearly knows the expectation of the coaching staff of their athletes and how the program operates. Seems like a perfect fit and she is not scared of the challenge. Peplowski’s always deliver and no doubt she will excel.
Where in the article does it least any coaching experiences? Haven’t articles in the past listed past experiences of coaches being hired?
I’m in a same situation just a year older. Couldn’t have thought of a better way for my first year to go. Was lucky to be able to coach what my specialty was and we walked away w 3 D1 conference titles in those events.
I also walked away from my first season with the respect from my athletes who were my teammates. As far as them viewing me as a COACH and not teammate, You have to have do a little more initiation but they will respect it.
People like you are the reason coaching is becoming less popular for freshly retired athletes. You don’t have to climb a ladder starting w 8&U at the local club. Volunteers… Read more »
Well said!
This seems to be a big misconception of this site – volunteers are still a thing – it’s just that coaching staffs have the option to add additional paid staff or keep their 1-2 volunteer roles or a combination while maintaining the coaching staff limit.
Unpaid coaches are still a thing.
The role of “volunteer” as we knew it no longer exists. They’re just unpaid assistant coaches.
Hey, just making sure in case anyone missed it….this person is in D1
Go Bucks amirite Katie
daggers!
Dennis dude u gotta stop hating on the Hoosiers man
Don’t worry, Dennis hates me too, and we’ve never met.
Dennis hates a lot of people. It’s just the way he is.
Braden, you’re correct on one thing…we never met.
Who said her younger sister wanted to transfer?
I was just putting it out their that hiring the older sister of one of your best swimmers would put any stops to those thoughts.
With Anna’s trajectory over the last two years in short course and last two months in long course there is no way she is leaving Ray. The team culture and bond the team has produces results. Her success is not because of her sister swimming there – it is a combination of the work ethic, coaches, and team culture. They have a lot of fun as a team and we all know fun equals fast swimming.
who hurt you