Coaching Staff
John Hargis
Head Coach
John Hargis took over the Penn State swimming and diving program on June 23, 2008 and has led the Nittany Lions to success in the classroom and in the pool during his five seasons in Happy Valley.
During his first four seasons at the helm, Hargis has seen 10 of his pupils write their names atop of the record books on the women's side in their respective events and all five relay school records have been set during his time in University Park. On the national level, 10 different women's swimmers have garnered All-America accolades on 30 occasions and 17 of his female student-athletes competed at the 2012 US Olympic Trials.
The men's program has also enjoyed its fair share of success with 11 studentathletes claiming All-America honors on 24 occasions under Hargis. In 2012, 17 Penn Staters headed to Omaha, Neb. to compete in the US Olympic Trials and during his first season at the helm he coached backstroker Patrick Schirk to a silver medal at the World University Games in the 200 backstroke.
Liz McMillan
Assistant Coach
Liz McMillan enters her fifth season as an assistant swimming and diving coach in Happy Valley. A distance specialist during her time at the University of Connecticut, McMillan has the reputation as one of the top recruiters in the nation. A four-time BIG EAST finalist while on campus in Storrs, Conn., McMillian made stops Virginia Tech and Florida State before landing on the University Park campus for the 2008-09 season.
During her time in Happy Valley, McMillan has helped at least one Nittany Lion advance to the NCAA Championships each year and seen the women's team finish among the top-40 three times and the men's squad grab top-30 finishes each of the past two seasons at the national meet. On an individual level, 21 of her pupils have garnered All-America honors on 54 occasions.
Aaron Mahaney
Assistant Coach
Aaron Mahaney enters his fifth season as an assistant swimming and diving coach in Happy Valley. The former Michigan State standout, Mahaney made a pair of coaching stops before joining the Nittany Lions coaching staff for the 2008-09 season.
During his time in Happy Valley, Mahaney has helped at least one Nittany Lion advance to the NCAA Championships each year and seen the women's team finish among the top-40 three times and the men's squad grab top-top-30 finishes each of the past two seasons at the national meet. On an individual level, 21 of his pupils have garnered All-America honors on 54 occasions. Prior to joining the staff and Penn State, Mahaney served as the assistant coach at the University of Hawaii during the 2005-06 season. While at Hawaii, he coached distance freestyle, butterfly and individual medley events.
Thad Schultz
Assistant Coach
Thad Schultz is in his fourth season as an assistant coach for the Penn State swimming and diving program. A standout swimmer at West Virginia, Schultz's vast knowledge base spans the club, NCAA and national range. A 22-year coaching veteran, Schultz spent time coaching on the college scene at Clemson and Ohio State before joining the Blue and White for the 2009-10 campaign.
During his time in Happy Valley, Schultz has seen the Nittany Lions women's team finish among the top-40 twice and the men's squad has grabbed top-30 finishes each of the past two seasons at the national meet. On an individual level, at least one Nittany Lion has advanced to the NCAA Championships each year and 15 of his pupils have garnered All-America honors on 45 occasions.
Aaron Workman
Assistant Coach
Aaron Workman joined the Nittany Lion staff in 2010-11 and enters his third season on the deck. Workman comes from an established coaching background, including his most recent position stop as the recruiting coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh, and was a decorated student-athlete in the pool while at the University of Kentucky.
During his first two seasons in Happy Valley, Workman has watched as 14 of his pupils earned All-America honors in the pool on 44 occasions. He helped the men's squad to a No. 17 showing at the NCAA Championships last year and a No. 26 finish during his first season on campus. The women's squad has posted a pair of top-35 finishes, as well, grabbing the No. 22 spot in 2011-12 and the No. 25 spot in 2010-11. On the recruiting trail, Workman was has also been able to sign top-18 recruiting classes in each of the past two years.
