PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The latest Inside Rutgers Athletics Podcast presented by RWJBarnabas Health previews the 2025-26 Rutgers swimming and diving season. Host Dom Savino chats with head coach Jon Maccoll who talks about how the Scarlet Knights are poised to continue their rise in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights boast a strong diving program and a talented group of swimmers.

 

"This is probably the most talented roster we've had on paper since I've been here," Maccoll explained. "This team is poised to make a jump and I encourage people to come out to see our meets and see Olympic level swimming and diving."

Rutgers' diving program is especially poised for success, and to do so for a long time with the team's youth. Sophomore Bailee Sturgill is coming off a high-level finish in an A Championship final on the world stage. Katerina Hoffman earned a Silver Medal at the World Cup in Canada. Sephora Ford returns for her senior season, along with an exciting freshman incomer in Gianna Lawrence. 

"We probably have four of the top-100 divers in the world, with three of them maybe even in the top-50, which is really exciting," Maccoll explained. I think we'll have a top-10 diving program in the country. "Natasha is doing a great job both with high end talent and developing talent into impact positions. She is arguably one of the top diving coaches in America.The diving program is healthy and strong and we want to continue to support that."

On the swimming front, RU features a strong mix of returners, as well as adding 10 newcomers which include four transfers to boost the roster. 

"We have some really exciting transfers that have come in," Maccoll said. "I think we are better positioned to do well than we have before. If we can stay healthy and execute, we're positioned to have a really good year."

Things are looking bright for the future of the program. The Scarlet Knights are continuing to build momentum as they approach the future in a new age of collegiate athletics. 

"We're being creative and aggressive and being innovated during this time in college athletics," Maccoll said. "We are both feet in with our new leadership and really excited about the direction it is going. This is a great situation we're in right now."

The Scarlet Knights open the year this weekend. This Saturday October 11, RU has a meet hosting Fordham and St. Bonaventure at the Rutgers Aquatics Center starting at 1 p.m. 

"The first meet is always great for the freshmen and really important for the internationals that have never experienced a duel meet," Maccoll said. "That meet will be fun and we'll get to see what we have. Our women have been training at an extremely high level. It's one of the best September's of training that we've had and we're excited to get started this weekend."