The Indiana Hoosiers have hired John Long from Division II Queens University as their new assistant coach, completing a summer that saw the team replace all 4 paid assistant swimming coaches on the staff.
Long swam collegiately at Auburn for 2 seasons in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 where he won an NCAA Division I Championship before transferring to Queens as an athlete. He swam at the 2012 Olympic Trials and launched into a coaching career that includes the Aquatic Team of Mecklenburg (ATOM), as a videographer with Team Elite when it was still based at SwimMAC, and as both a volunteer and full-time assistant with Queens. He has been with Queens for 5 seasons, and in 2016 was promoted to associate head coach, as well as triathlon and club swimming coordinator for the school. That means he was a part of 5-straight men’s and 5-straight women’s NCAA Division II Championships at the school.
He fills the spot vacated when Indiana fired Mike Westphal in early September after he was arrested and charged with intimidation following an alleged incident with former Indiana swimmer, and local club coach, Max Irwin.
SwimSwam’s Coleman Hodges was on deck at Indiana this week and captured an interview with Long:
The Indiana men finished 3rd at the NCAA Championships in March, and the women placed 9th. Both teams, between graduations and transfers, lost a huge portion of their core, including names like Lilly King, Vini Lanza, Ian Finnerty, and Zach Apple, so both programs appear to be very much in a rebuilding season.
Other Indiana coaching changes this summer:
- Caitlin Hamilton was hired as the head coach at Division I Illinois State University in May.
- Coley Stickels was hired as the new head coach at Alabama, where the men finished 7th and the women finished tied for 34th at NCAAs last season.
- Kirk Grand left to move with his fiancée, Lindsey, to Colorado Springs, where she had job opportunities.
- Jonty Skinner, Emily Eaton, and Cory Chitwood joined the staff.
CONGRATULATIONS, JOHN! INDIANA IS BLESSED TO HAVE YOU!
Great hire. Congratulations John. May your tenure in the B1G be enjoyable & successful.
An all around good guy, did a great job at Queens in helping maintain and grow the culture and standard of excellence that Dugdale started. Let’s see if he can bring the Championship culture to Bloomington and teach IU how to win.
Wonder if he will bring a top swimmer or two from Queens.
Great Coach – an even better person !!!!! Love ya!
Remember when he swam at Bolles. Good guy.