Why BYU Men's Swimming & Diving

FACILITIES

The Cougars home pool is the Richards Building Pool on BYU's campus. One of the finest facilities in the nation when it was completed in 1971, this building was named for Stephen L. Richards. Besides being a proponent of physical education and good sportsmanship, Richards served on the BYU Board of Trustees, as assistant commissioner of Church education and as a counselor in the First Presidency for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The facility includes three heated swimming pools, which serve as the home for BYU's men's and women's swimming and diving teams. Pool facilities include aluminum diving boards, under-water lighting, observation and photography windows, permanent racing lanes and equipment for beginning swimmers and family groups.

COACHING STAFF 

Brigham Young University has a unique coaching staff; the six coaches have more than 78 years of college-coaching experience, and it is the only swim/dive in the country with four full-time female coaches. When BYU realigned its staff in 2021, Coach Skabelund brought in experience from multiple Division 1 programs. This staff is committed to building the character of each athlete in order to achieve higher results in the pool.

ATHLETIC TRAINING

Our strength and conditioning staff is committed to improving, learning, and implementing the newest techniques for training our swimmers. The certified athletic trainers, sports physical therapist, team physicians, team orthopedic surgeons, and other medical specialists also work to keep athletes safe and ready to compete at their highest levels.

Swimming and diving is not only about being physically prepared to compete; athletes must also prepare emotionally and mentally, and we take that preparation very seriously. Our athletes benefit from some of the nation's leading sports psychologists, who help the divers and swimmers prepare for life, academics, and competition. 

UNIVERSITY 

BYU is one of the top academic schools in the country with a number of awards and recognition for the various programs it offers. See where BYU ranks among the top Universities in the Country here

ACADEMICS 

BYU has a high commitment to graduation, with a full-time Academic Advisement staff, mentor and tutor programs, and is a member of the NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills Program. 

EXPOSURE

In summer 2023, BYU will begin competing in the Big XII Conference and compete against a slew of top-notch programs, including perennial NCAA-champion Texas, which will remain in the Big XII through 1 July 2025. The competition will be stiff, but the Cougars look forward to the challenge, and the current athletes and those committing to compete for BYU are excited to swim and dive against some of the world's best athletes.