Recent University of Texas graduate Emma Sticklen has been named an assistant coach for the University of Pennsylvania men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs.
Sticklen replaces Maddie Carrigan, who is no longer listed on the team’s staff. She joins a coaching squad led by head coach Mike Schnur, with assistant coach Andrew Abeysinghe and diving coach Rob Cragg remaining in their respective roles.
“I am thrilled to add someone of Emma’s caliber and character to Penn Swimming,” Schnur said in the university’s press release. “Her experiences as a three-time NCAA champion, an NCAA record holder, and multi-year member of the United States national team will be invaluable for our student athletes as they strive for Ivy, NCAA, and international excellence.”
While Sticklen doesn’t have any official coaching experience, she just wrapped up a storied career that included five trips to the NCAA Championships, three individual national titles, two Olympic Trials qualifications, and two Olympic Trials finals appearances.
“I am incredibly excited to be joining the University of Pennsylvania as an assistant coach,” said Sticklen. “Penn Swimming has a strong tradition, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to its continued success. I look forward to giving back to
the team in their pursuit of excellence at the Ivy League, NCAA, and international levels.”
Born and raised in Katy, Texas, Sticklen attended Taylor High School and swam for Katy Aquatics. She was the 2019 Texas state champion in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke and still owns the high school state record in the 100 fly (51.88).
Sticklen became the Longhorns’ first women’s swimmer since Leigh Ann Fetter (1989-91) to win a national championship three years in a row. She won the NCAA title in the 200 fly in 1:49.95 in 2023, which stood as the meet record at the time, followed by a 1:50.99 victory in 2024. This year, Sticklen was on an absolute tear, going under 1:50 seven times throughout the season and culminating with her career-best 1:49.11 to win the NCAA title.
Sticklen’s freshman campaign resulted in her capturing 7th in the 200 fly (1:54.09) at the NCAA Championships, while also logging 51.91 for 11th in the 100 fly and 22.59 for 37th in the 50 free.
Her true breakout came in the 2022 season, when she qualified first out of prelims in the 200 fly in 1:51.45, but fell to 7th in the final with a 1:52.22. She also took 4th in the 100 fly (50.29) and 32nd in the 50 free (22.26). In relays, she contributed to the 400 medley relay (4th), 200 medley relay (5th), and 200 free relay (12th).
She nabbed 5th in the 100 fly (50.15) and 6th in the 200 IM (1:54.09) in 2023, along with leading the Longhorns to 3rd in both medley relays and 6th in the 200 free relay.
In 2024, she was the runner-up in the 100 fly (49.70) and 11th in the 200 IM (1:54.19) in addition to contributing to the 2nd-place 400 medley relay, 3rd-place 200 free relay, and 6th-place 200 medley relay.
This past season, she secured bronze in the 100 fly (49.27) and also helped Texas to 5th in the 400 medley relay, 6th in the 200 medley relay, 7th in the 400 free relay, and 8th in the 200 free relay.
Sticklen competed at the Wave I Olympic Trials in 2021, the only year the meet was separated into two meets due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Wave I was the slower meet of the two, but the top two finishers in each race were able to advance to the Wave II meet, where Olympic spots were on the line. At Wave I, she was 14th in the 100 fly (1:00.93) and produced a then-lifetime best 2:12.58 to finish second in the 200 fly and advance to Wave II. At Wave II, she finished 45th in the 100 fly (1:00.51) and 22nd in the 200 fly (2:13.50).
At the 2024 Olympic Trials, she touched 8th in the 100 fly (58.44) after logging a lifetime-best 57.77 in the semifinals, then finished 4th in the 200 fly (2:08.07), just shy of her career best of 2:07.44 from the semifinals.
Great news! Go Quakers!!
“It’s not fair”. lol, this happens on every single article like this. Life isn’t fair, deal with it
Saying “life isn’t fair” isn’t a valid excuse to ignore unfairness when we see it. Just because inequality exists doesn’t mean we should accept or dismiss it. If people constantly point out the same issue on every article like this, maybe it’s a sign the system actually needs fixing—not that people should just “deal with it.”
Didn’t Alex Walsh win the 200 fly at NCAAs in 2022 and 2024 and set the NCAA record ?
Alex set the NCAA record at ACC in 2024
Atta girl! Enjoy the new role and your new life with your new husband!!
Look, I get that “experience” is usually the go-to argument for club coaches, but here’s the reality, swimmers coming straight out of NCAA programs at the elite level have been living and breathing cutting-edge training, technique, and recovery methods every single day. They’ve worked directly under world-class coaches, raced against Olympians, and know exactly what it takes in today’s environment to succeed at the highest level.
I’m still surprised that Sticklen didn’t at least give it a go at nationals in June before retiring.
She wanted to go coach some camps to prove she can coach and get this job.
She was busy getting married.
Zero coaching experience and lands a D1 job.
Yes, but her five years swimming D1 should count for something and it’s not like she’s the head coach. To me, the experience is like a degree in swimming. She has seen the collegiate cycle, preseason through NCAA’s, five times. That is valuable experience to share with a D1 team. They are lucky to have her. Emma is a top-tier individual who will rise through the coaching ranks quickly if she chooses to stay with coaching.
It’s also PENN. Not exactly a powerhouse. .
This is a clown comment. Congrats to Emma.
Also – If you really knew swimming, you’d know some names of some decently fast Penn swimmers over the last decade or so.
I thought that you might be right, so I did the research on top times and records on both sides. Matt Fallon’s times are not like the others. Even with Matt’s success, I’m doubling down that I think Emma is qualified for that job. What a great hire for the program.
I think we are talking past each other. I think she’s well qualified, and it’s a great hire. She’d be qualified to be an assistant anywhere in my opinion. I was taking issue with your downplaying of my Alma Mater, PENN. Plenty of fast swimmers in recent memory, beyond Fallon. Chris Swanson is just another name that comes to mind. But I’m biased. I guess my point is that you made it seem like it’s not a desirable or hard to get job. I disagree. Penn has had more National Teamers (Fallon, me) and National Champions (Swanson) than any other Ivy League School since 2010. Probably more than some schools in powerhouse conferences. Why knock that. That’s all.
Why not, not exactly a great program and she has 3 nattys
If you think that Ivy League last assistant is a mid-point entry to the profession, I have bad news for you.
The instructors at your local Goldfish make more money for fewer hours.
Yeah according to the LinkedIn post it pays $47,000-48,000.
Still more than the average mid major assistant!
They’re living that DINK lifestyle
In addition to the low pay, a college assistant coach is also working a lot of really odd hours (early mornings, long bus trips on the weekends). It’s far from a 9-5 gig.
I say this as someone who has worked for a few years as a non-tenure-track teaching professor at a different prestigious and expensive university: I think it can also create an odd dynamic. You aren’t (IMO) fairly compensated for your expertise or the work that you do, but nonetheless you are an authority figure and one of the faces of the university to students who are paying a premium (or their parents are paying a premium, depending on how much financial aid they receive) to be there.… Read more »
Exciting hire! Go Quakers!