With Wednesday’s news that Mike Stephens is leaving the University of Hawaii to become associate head coach at Stanford, the Rainbow Warriors have begun their search for a new head coach.
We’ve compiled a list of some big-name candidates along with some under-the-radar options who might make sense in Honolulu, but let us know in the comments who you think would be the best fit.
Stephanie Juncker — Associate Head Coach, University of Louisville
It might take a dream job to lure Juncker away from Louisville after a decade on staff, first as an assistant and women’s recruiting coordinator in 2014 before being elevated to associate head coach in the summer of 2021. After spending her entire life residing in the Midwest, Hawaii would represent a huge change for the 2012 Cardinal graduate.
Juncker has established herself as a key cog under head coach Arthur Albiero, with numerous NCAA champions being produced including Mallory Comerford and Kelsi Dahlia early in her tenure and more recently Nicolas Albiero. The women’s team has remained one of the best in the nation over the past couple seasons, placing 4th at NCAAs last year and 6th this year.
Juncker, who worked at Fresno State and Arkansas before returning to her alma mater, also gained international coaching experience last year as a member of the U.S. coaching staff that attending the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
Tyler Fenwick — Associate Head Coach, University of Virginia
Like Juncker, Fenwick would be another home run hire, but probably a tough sell to leave his current position as associate head coach at Virginia. However, it would bring Fenwick slightly closer to his native Los Angeles.
After being on the rise during Fenwick’s first few seasons in Charlottesville, the Cavalier women have dominated the NCAA since 2020, and the men’s team has also found success in spurts with some game-changing recruits on the way. Prior to Virginia, he was an associate head coach at Tennessee from 2012-17. After serving as an associate for a dozen years, perhaps it’s time for him to take over his own program.
Kristy King — Associate Head Coach, University of Wisconsin
During her five seasons at Wisconsin, King has seen three of her swimmers (Paige McKenna, Beata Nelson, and Phoebe Bacon) combine for five NCAA titles. The former Badger team captain was promoted to associate head coach in 2022 under head coach Yuri Suguiyama.
As a recruiter, King helped put together the No. 7-ranked women’s recruiting class in 2020 and more recently landed top-10 prospect Maggie Wanezek in the class of 2024. There’s also a successful Wisconsin-to-Hawaii pipeline already in place as the Rainbow Warriors hired Dan Schemmel in 2016 after he spent five seasons as an assistant for the Badgers.
Whitney Hite — Associate Head Coach, University of Florida
Hite has helped guide Florida’s growth over the past six years as an associate head coach at Florida, first on the women’s staff under Jeff Poppell and then under Anthony Nesty after the Gators re-combined their programs in 2021. Before his time in Gainesville, he spent seven seasons as head coach at Wisconsin.
The Florida women’s team has been on an upward trajectory in recent seasons, winning back-to-back SEC titles in 2023 and 2024 after some key additions. The Gator men have been one of the best teams in the country throughout Hite’s time there. He was rumored to have interviewed at Texas A&M, where former Virginia associate head coach Blaire Anderson was ultimately hired to lead the Aggies newly-combined program.
Brian Thomas — Former Head Coach, George Washington University
Thomas left George Washington in May to pursue “another opportunity in collegiate swimming,” but hasn’t resurfaced since — maybe he’s still on the market.
GW swept A-10 conference titles this past season before sending two women and one man to NCAAs — all this despite dealing with drama over the potential destruction of their home pool. Thomas led the GW men to five A-10 titles and the women to four conference crowns in just six years.
Kevin Blum — Associate Head Coach, Hawaii
If anyone knows how to best replicate the culture that Stephens created at Hawaii, it’s Blum. Not only is he the current associate head coach for the Rainbow Warriors, but he also served as assistant under Stephens at BC from 2019-21. Continuity could be beneficial for a program with as much momentum as Hawaii, which swept Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) titles this year.
You’ve omitted mentioning the best choice in coaching, Wyatt Collins! 🤠🤘🏻 Although after being duped by Texas he may be taking time to consider a wide variety of options.
So this is actually kinda crazy cause I was thinking, is it actually closer? Honolulu is 2,548 miles from LA. The driving distance from Charlottesville to LA………2,548 miles. Wild
No chance Whitney is leaving UF
Yeah, no way anyone with an associate head coach job in a Power 3 conference is going anywhere. The sport is about to implode and those schools will be the only ones left with money.
Why wouldn’t the wild speculation include a recently “free agent” from across the pond in Michael Bohl?
I don’t think this job is at a level that it pulls any of the first 4 coaches mentioned. It honestly feels like they did really minimal work to put together this list. You can argue those 4 have better jobs than the one Stephens just left Hawaii for.
There’s a reason why Thomas didn’t land another college job yet too, despite being really good at getting swimmers to go fast.
I’ve died, lol
Isn’t he from Philly?
Fenwick is definitely from Philly!
C’mon Steve, they’re clearly right next to each other.
Does SwimSwam (or anyone) know if Junker has interviewed for other head coaching positions in the recent years?