Coaches

Dan Phillips, Head Coach
(570) 372-4274 - phillipsds@susqu.edu

World-class swimmer Dan Phillips was named as the head coach of Susquehanna University's men's and women's swimming & diving teams, and Director of Aquatics, in August 2008. He is the second to assume the coaching position in Susquehanna's history.

"Dan is an incredibly exciting hire for Susquehanna," said the university's Director of Athletics Pam Samuelson. "His resume as a coach and an athlete truly speaks for itself."

Phillips comes to Susquehanna from The Ohio State University, where he was an assistant women's swimming coach from 2003 to 2008 for the NCAA Division I Buckeyes. During his time at Ohio State, Phillips helped to produce three all–Big Ten Conference performers, eight NCAA championships qualifiers — including a championships finalist and an All–American — one Big Ten champion, three world championships participants and an Olympian.

Phillips has been the director of aquatics at Wedgewood Golf & Country Club in Powell, Ohio, since earlier in 2008.

From 2001 to 2003, Phillips was an assistant men's and women's swimming coach at the Division I University of South Carolina, where he worked with an athlete who swam in four events at the NCAA women's championships.

Phillips was the head coach of the Omaha Suburban Aquatic Club in Omaha, Neb., from 2000 to 2001 and enjoyed two national age-group top 16 finishes, including a first-place ranking. He was an assistant coach for Carter Center Aquatic in Roanoke, Va., from 1996 to 1997 and an assistant for the Olympic Park Swim Team in Roanoke in 1996. He was promoted to head coach of the Olympic Park team in 1997.

A world-class athlete, Phillips was a 2000 U.S. Olympic Team trials qualifier in the 50-, 100-, 200- and 400-meter freestyle races. From 1997 to 2000, he was a member of the USA Swimming National Resident Team that trained at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

As co-captain of the U.S. swimming team at the 1999 Pan American Games, Phillips captured a gold medal as part of an 800-meter freestyle relay and a silver medal as part of a 400 free relay. He captured another silver — this time at the 1998 Goodwill Games — as part of a 400 medley relay. He finished in the top 16 at the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the 200 free.

A 1996 South Carolina graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Phillips was a co-captain for Gamecocks swimming from 1994 to 1995. He was the 1995 Southeastern Conference champion in the 200 free and an All–American in 1993, 1994 and 1995. He was a 1993 World University Games gold medalist as part of an 800 free relay. Phillips was ranked in the top 30 of the world in the 100 free in 1993.

Phillips replaces the late G. Edward "Ged" Schweikert III, who died June 15 after succumbing to cancer.

Katie Robbins, Assistant Coach
(570) 372-4274 - robbins@susqu.edu

Robbins enters her 13th season as an assistant men's and women's swimming & diving coach in 2008-09 and is one of the women's program's best success stories. Coming from a high school that had no swimming team, she became one of Susquehanna University's top distance swimmers and a team captain by her senior season.

Robbins graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Susquehanna in 1996 and earned a master's degree in education from Bucknell University in 1998. She has been teaching science at Selinsgrove Area High School since 1998.

In the summer, Robbins is a very successful age-group coach. She took her former hometown team from the bottom of the Susquehanna Valley Swimming and Diving League to being a top contender within five years.