Stephens Named Head Coach Of Men’s And Women’s Swimming & Diving

HONOLULU – University of Hawai'i Athletics Director David Matlin has announced Michael Stephens as the new men's and women's swimming and diving head coach.

"I'm excited to welcome Michael to our UH 'ohana," Matlin said. "Michael is an impressive young coach who has the leadership abilities to make our Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wahine champions in the pool, in the classroom and out in the community. I look forward to our student-athletes thriving under his guidance."

Stephens comes from Boston College where he coached for nine seasons, including the last five as head coach. During his tenure as head coach, the Eagles enjoyed some of their most successful seasons ever with more than 170 school records established. The team shattered 18 school records alone in this past spring's ACC Championships, while competing in one of the elite conferences in the nation.

His student-athletes have achieved 29 NCAA consideration times and zone diving scores, while three women swimmers qualified for the 2021 Olympic Trials. The trio were the first Boston College women to ever qualify for the Olympic Trials. Stephens also recently served as an assistant coach for the Barbados National Swim Team, coaching Alex Sobers in the Tokyo Olympics.

"I am honored to be named the head coach of the swimming and diving program at the University of Hawai'i," Stephens said. "Thank you to David Matlin and the search committee for their trust in me to lead this team. I'm excited to join a department and a community with a set of values that align closely with me and my coaching philosophy. I'm grateful for the opportunity to live and work in a place with a rich swimming history and to lead a program that is positioned to develop elite student-athletes. I am confident that together we can achieve at the highest level and I can't wait to get started."

Stephens takes over a highly-successful Hawai'i program, which has won five women's conference titles in the last six years and two men's titles since 2019.

Stephens was hired as the head coach of Boston College in 2017 at the age of just 26 after serving as an assistant coach and the program's recruiting coordinator the previous four years. During his near-decade tenure at BC, he has helped build a diverse and talented program with student-athletes from every region of the country. The 2021-22 roster boasted student-athletes from nearly two dozen states, including Hawai'i.

Prior to joining his alma mater as a coach, Stephens enjoyed a four-year collegiate career with the Eagles. Upon graduation, he held the school record in the 200 medley relay and ranked in the top five all-time in the 100 and 200 breaststroke. Stephens was a recipient of the Pawlak Award for Special Recognition in 2012 and the Conway Award for Outstanding Sophomore Swimmer in 2010. He also received the Leadership Award from the Athletic Department in 2011.

A native of Olney, Maryland, Stephens graduated with a finance degree from Boston College in 2012. In 2016 he earned an MBA from BC's Carroll School of Management with a focus on higher education leadership and developmental psychology.

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