Katie Robinson has been named the next director of Northwestern Swimming and Diving, Athletic Director Jim Phillips announced Thursday.

Robinson has served as an associate head coach since July 2018. She succeeds Jeremy Kipp, who announced in May that he would take the head coaching job at USC.

“I look forward to upholding this honor with great responsibility and enthusiasm,” Robinson said in a news release. “Northwestern truly is a special place dedicated to the experience of each student-athlete in their pursuit of excellence. The student-athletes, coaches and administrators that I’ve had the privilege to work with over the past two years have inspired me day in and day out. This is just the beginning for our program.”

Robinson is just the second female swimming and diving head coach to oversee both men’s and women’s programs across the Power 5 conferences, the news release stated. She served as head of Tulane’s women’s swimming program from 2013 to 2018. During her time there, all individual and relay swimming school records were surpassed, and her athletes won 32 conference medals, the news release stated.

Before coaching, Robinson attended the University of Texas, where she was an 11-time All American and served as team captain from 2006 to 2007. As a senior, she was the Big 12 nominee for the NCAA Female Athlete of the Year, and was named first-team ESPN The Magazine All-District VI and second-team Academic All-America.

“In the midst of unprecedented circumstances, our committee carried out a comprehensive international search,” Phillips said in a news release. “In speaking with our student-athletes, industry leaders and a host of talented candidates, it became very clear that the best candidate was already a part of our Northwestern family. Katie has played a critical role in our program’s undeniable ascension over the last two seasons and we cannot wait to see where she takes the program in the years to come.”

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