Morgan McCafferty Hired as Georgia Southern Head Swimming and Diving Coach
5/22/2024 2:11:00 PM | Swimming and Diving
New coach comes to Statesboro after three years at Idaho, standout career at Nebraska
STATESBORO - Former University of Nebraska standout and University of Idaho assistant coach Morgan McCafferty has been named the new head coach of the Georgia Southern women's swimming and diving program, announced on Wednesday by Director of Athletics Jared Benko. McCafferty comes to Statesboro after spending the previous three seasons with the Vandals as an assistant.
"Thank you to Jared Benko, Brandy Clouse, Chris Davis, and the entire search committee for the commitment to its swimming and diving program," McCafferty said. "I'm honored to be named the next head coach of Georgia Southern University and to continue the development of its student-athletes in and out of the pool. Statesboro is a very special place, and I can't wait to get there to get to work!"
While at Idaho, McCafferty helped coach student-athletes to 41 new top-10 finishes from the previous season, including new school records set in the 50 Free, 100 Free, 500 Free, 1,000 Free, 400 IM, 200 Free Relay, and 400 Free Relay. McCafferty also coached Zoe Froh, who went on to compete at the Canadian Swimming Trials in 2022. She also led all aspects of coaching for the Vandals women's swimming and diving program, including leading practices, and served as the recruiting coordinator for the program. McCafferty planned and coordinated all travel for the program as part of her duties as well.
"We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Morgan McCafferty as our new swimming and diving head coach," Benko said. "Morgan brings a dynamic energy and a proven track record of leading in the sport of swimming and diving. An exceptional communicator, Morgan has shown an innate ability to inspire and position student-athletes to reach their full potential both in and out of the pool."
Before her tenure at Idaho, McCafferty dedicated two seasons to her alma mater, the University of Nebraska, as the director of operations. In this role, she not only assisted the coaching staff with travel, recruiting, and day-to-day operations but also took charge of the program's social media channels. This experience was a significant part of her personal and professional growth, preparing her for the role of head coach at Georgia Southern.
McCafferty also gained valuable experience coaching at the high school and club levels. She spent two years as the head coach for Club Husker, working with athletes between the ages of 6 and 18. She had previously spent two seasons working with Club Husker as the age group coach for boys and girls, ages 9 to 13. McCafferty was also an assistant with Pius X High School last season and worked with Midwestern Swimming in 2018.
McCafferty was a four-year letterwinner for the Cornhuskers, earning Academic All-Big Ten honors in each of her final three seasons. As a senior, she helped lead Nebraska to its best Big Ten Championship finish since joining the league in 2012 and was also selected to compete in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha. McCafferty was a six-time honoree on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll and a four-time Tom Osborne Citizenship Team selection, as well as a Herman Team GPA recipient in her first two seasons and a three-time Night at the Lied Academic Medallion Recipient.
A native of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, McCafferty earned her degree from Nebraska in history and added a master's in higher education administration.
The hiring is pending a final successful background check.
