Courtesy: Liberty Athletics
Samantha Pickens, a national champion and Team USA diver, has been hired as Liberty’s Diving Coach, it was announced today by Head Coach Jake Shellenberger.
“Associate Head Coach Jessica Barnes and I are thrilled to welcome Samantha to Liberty and the Swimming & Diving family,” Shellenberger said. “Bringing a wealth of both elite-level competition and coaching experience, Samantha will elevate our diving to the next level, and we see great things ahead for her and the entire program. I love that she is a Pennsylvania native and Arizona graduate, as Jessica and I hail from PA as well, and I spent time in Tucson as a volunteer with the Wildcat program. Samantha is everything we looked for in a diving coach, and we’re excited for the future of this program. Fifteen years into our history, the best is still to come! Welcome to Liberty, Samantha!”
Pickens has served as an Assistant Diving Coach for the City of Midland, Texas, since 2018. During that time, she has coordinated and led Midland’s 11U elite Junior Olympic athletes, qualifying five athletes to national championships. While coordinating a strength and conditioning program for the team, Pickens has been meet director for numerous USA Diving competitions and COM sanctioned events in Midland
For the last year, Pickens has been an athlete representative on the USA Diving Board of Directors. She makes crucial voting decisions in the best interest of the athletes and serves as an alternate representative on the USOPC Athlete Commission.
A 2014 graduate of the University of Arizona, Pickens spent the 2017-18 season as Interim Head Diving Coach. Taking over midseason, she handled recruiting of incoming prospects while also helping two Wildcats qualify for the NCAA Zone Championships. That season, one of Arizona’s divers earned All-American honors on one-meter.
In March of 2017, she served as Team Puerto Rico team leader and Head Coach. She coordinated all travel and visas for Team Puerto Rico for two World Series events in China. Pickens coached Olympic finalist Rafa Quintero.
An elite diver in her own right, Pickens served as USA Diving athlete representative from 2011-13. In that role, she represented all USA Diving athletes, attended the annual United States Aquatic Sports Convention and voted on important organizational matters.
“I feel beyond blessed for the opportunity to work alongside Coach Shellenberger and Coach Barnes at Liberty Swim & Dive,” Pickens said. “The culture and atmosphere that is Liberty University is something way beyond anyone could ever imagine and I’m just to excited to be working with such an amazing university and staff!”
While competing for Arizona, Pickens was a five-time NCAA All-American, capped by national championships on one-meter in both 2013 and 2015. She also won the Pac-12 one-meter title as a senior. Pickens earned the University of Arizona Ruby Award as a senior. The Ruby Award is the highest award given to any Arizona student-athlete for athlete achievements and academic achievements. She was named to the Pac-12 All-Century Team in 2016, one of the top 32 swimmers & divers in conference history.
Her extensive career includes many national championships and international appearances. She was the USA Diving national champion on one-meter in both 2013 and 2015, while winning a USA Diving synchronized diving title on three-meter in 2013. Pickens was a member of the USA Diving national team during the 2013-14 season. She has competed in U.S. Olympic Trials in 2016, 2021 and 2024, earning bronze medals on three-meter synchronized diving in both 2021 and 2024. At the 2020 USA Diving Nationals, she was the High Point Winner. Pickens won the USA Diving US Open title on both one-meter and three-meter in 2022.
Internationally, Pickens finished third on three-meter at the 2015 FINA Puerto Rico Grand Prix. She was a World University Games finalist in both 2013 and 2015, helping Team USA to a silver medal in 2013. Pickens qualified for the World Championships final in 2013, finishing seventh on three-meter synchronized diving. During 2015, she qualified for both the World Championships and FINA Diving World Series. She finished third on three-meter at the 2020 FINA Madrid Grand Prix before securing an Olympic quota spot for the United States on three-meter at the 2021 FINA Diving World Cup. Pickens placed ninth on three-meter at the 2022 World Aquatics World Cup and was a 2024 Canada Cup silver medalist on three-meter synchro.
Originally from Western Pennsylvania, Pickens was inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame in 2021 for her diving excellence at Franklin Regional High School.
