Courtesy: Augsburg Athletics
MINNEAPOLIS — Lindsay Mikkelson, a Minnesota native who has a decade of experience as a collegiate swimming coach, has been named the interim head coach of the Augsburg University women’s swimming and diving team, the university has announced.
For the past two seasons, Mikkelson served as the head coach for the men’s and women’s swimming programs at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J., also serving as the school’s aquatics director. She had spent the prior four seasons as an assistant coach and associate aquatics director for the Ducks, an NCAA Division III program in the Empire 8 Conference.
“Coach Mikkelson is going to be a great addition to the Augsburg University athletic department.,” said Augsburg Associate Athletic Director Kelly Anderson Diercks. “She brings a wealth of knowledge to the position, and we are confident her drive to succeed can take the Auggie swim and dive program to new levels.”
At Stevens Tech, Mikkelson was part of a staff that guided the Ducks to the Empire 8 men’s swimming team title the past six seasons in a row, while the women recorded second-place conference team finishes in both of her seasons as head coach. As an assistant, the Ducks women’s program won the league title in 2013, while finishing in second in four of the past five seasons. Mikkelson earned Empire 8 Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year honors in both 2016-17 and 2017-18, and was part of a staff that earned Empire 8 Men’s Swimming Coaching Staff of the Year honors six straight years.
During her tenure at Stevens Tech, Mikkelson coached three national titlists and numerous All-American honorees. In her first season with the Ducks (2012-13), the squads recorded their highest-ever NCAA national championships finishes, with the men finishing sixth and the women finishing seventh.
“I want to thank Athletic Director Jeff Swenson and Associate Athletic Director Kelly Anderson Diercks for welcoming me in to the Augsburg athletic department,” Mikkelson said. “It’s great to be back in the MIAC, and I look forward to working on building a successful swimming and diving program with the student-athletes at Augsburg.”
In 2011-12, Mikkelson helped establish the women’s swimming program at Ferrum College in Virginia, serving as head coach in the team’s first season. She’s also served as an assistant coach at Trinity College (Conn., 2010-11), Springfield College (Mass., 2008-10) and Gustavus Adolphus College (2007-08). She was also a teaching fellow in the physical education and recreation department during her two seasons at Springfield.
A native of Two Harbors, Minn., Mikkelson (nee DeLaRosby) was a swimmer at Saint Mary’s University, competing in the sprint freestyle and relay events. She still holds the school record for the 50-yard freestyle (25.25 seconds), set in her 13th-place finish at the 2005 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships.
Mikkelson earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations from Saint Mary’s in 2005, and a master’s degree in physical education from Springfield in 2010. She is currently working on her master’s of business administration degree at Stevens Tech.
Mikkelson replaces Nora Stauber, who resigned in August after spending two seasons as the Auggies’ head coach.