University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Women's Swimming & Diving

Josh Willman is currently in his 32nd season at the helm of the University of New Hampshire swimming & diving program in 2024-25. 14 X CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS (...

The Wildcats welcome UNH Hall of Famer Dr. Rick Schavone back to New England as the head diving coach. A 1971 graduate of New Hampshire, Schavone spent over 35 years coaching at Stanford University where he molded Stanford into one of the top all-around diving programs in the nation. A four-time NCAA Diving Coach of the Year, Schavone is also an eight-time recipient of the Pac-12 Diving Coach of the Year award. Schavone served on Team USA's Olympic coaching staff at the 2012 Olympics after two of his divers earned their first Olympic nods. Kristian Ipsen won the bronze medal in the 3-meter synchro at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and Cassidy Krug placed seventh off the 3-meter springboard. He has coach divers to NCAA national championship titles 12 times and runners-up 6 times. In addition to his work at Stanford, Schavone has served as the head coach for numerous United States diving teams and has traveled all over the world as head coach or assisting at FINA World Championships, World Cups, World University Games, Goodwill Games, European Championships and nearly every international meet imaginable. Schavone has also held many positions with USA Diving and received numerous awards, perhaps most notable the prestigious Whosam Award in 2003, given annually to a coach that adheres to the highest standards of physical and mental well-being. Upon retirement from Stanford, Schavone traveled down under to work with the Australian National Program from 2018-2022 where he assiste

Nicole Benson returned for her third tenure as an assistant coach under Josh Willman in 2025-26. Previously, she was a volunteer assistant coach from 2004-11 before returning as a volunteer assistant for the 2018 season. She was part of three UNH America East Championships: 2013, 2014 and 2018. Benson returned to UNH from Phillips Exeter Academy, where she served as an assistant varsity swim coach at one of the most exclusive private schools in the world from 2018-25. Her leadership played a major factor in the success of a team that produced incredibly talented high school and age-group swimmers at the regional, national and, as of this past spring, international level. Benson was a standout swimmer at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay where she swam sprint freestyle and backstroke events for three seasons. She still holds multiple top-10 times at UWGB and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2002. She went on to complete her eligibility at the University of Kansas, where she earned her Master’s degree in Sociology. Benson started her coaching career as a graduate assistant for Kansas and assistant masters swimming coach in Lawrence, Kansas, in 1997 and 1998. She later became the head swimming coach for the YMCA Green Dolphins Swimming club in Wausau, Wisconsin. She also worked as an assistant swimming coach for the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where she assisted in recruiting and worked specifically with the sprint group. After moving to the Seacoast