Katelyne Herrington was named the head coach at Pacific in the fall of 2019, returning to the campus where she had served as an assistant coach. The 2025-26 season is her seventh as the Tigers' head coach.
During the 2024-25 campaign, Herrington led the Tigers to their first-ever MPSF Team Championship, giving her MPSF Men's Swimming Head Coach of the Year. Pacific won a conference-high 11 MPSF Men's Swimming titles and placed in the top three in all but one of the swim events. Herrington represents Pacific's first-ever MPSF Swim Coach of the Year recognition. The Tigers also sent 21 swimmers to the National Invitational Championships, setting a new program record in that regard.
In 2022-23, Pacific participated in the National Invitational Championships for the first time with 14 swimmers and nine relays qualifying for the event. Junior Dylan Parente had the best finish for the Tigers, placing 10th in the national event. At the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships, the women's team finished seventh of the 10 teams. The men's team placed eighth. Caitlin Tan and Paige Sondergroth both earned All-MPSF honors. Six swimmers earned College Sport Communicators Academic All-District honors and appeared on the Academic All-America ballot. Nineteen earned MPSF All-Academic honors, and both teams were honored by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) as Scholar All-America Teams.
In the 2021-22 season, the program returned to a full schedule following a COVID-abbreviated season in 2020-21. The women’s season was highlighted by a dual meet win over San Jose State and finishing first in the Pacific Invitational. At the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Championships, the women placed ninth and the men, sixth. Seven men and six women were named to the MPSF All-Academic Team. The honored student-athletes have a minimum of a 3.00 cumulative GPA, at least sophomore status, completed a full academic year at Pacific and competed in at least 50 percent of the competitions.
In the 2020-21 season, due to COVID-19 protocols, each squad had only one dual meet and the MPSF Championships. The men finished seventh at the MPSF event; the women, sixth.
In her first season at the helm, Herrington guided the women’s team to an impressive win over UC Santa Barbara, one of four dual meet wins. At the MPSF championship event, the women placed seventh of eight teams; the men, sixth. Senior Angela Gagliardo was named first-team All-MPSF in three events, including the 400 IM where she earned an NCAA B-cut (4:16.74). She also set the 200-yard breaststroke record. Diver Mackaby Pennington also was named first-team All-MPSF in platform diving. Fourteen women and six men earned MPSF All-Academic Team honors.
Herrington returned to the Chris Kjeldsen Pool after spending the 2018-19 season as the head coach at Fresno Pacific. In 2018-19, both the men’s and women’s Sunbird teams finished third at the Pacific Collegiate Swimming and Diving Championships. The program had four All-Americans and three honorable mention All-Americans at the NCAA Division II level.
Prior to her move to Fresno, Herrington served as an assistant coach for the Tigers during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. She helped guide the Orange and Black to 40 school records. The Tigers had a qualifier for the NCAA Division I Championships in back-to-back years. The 200-free relay team also surged to an NCAA Division I top-10 regular-season ranking in 2017-18 under her tutelage.
Herrington comes from a Pacific family as her father, Todd Herrington, was a member of the Pacific football team, playing linebacker from 1985 to 1987.
Before Pacific, Herrington was the director of operations for the swimming and diving program at New Mexico for the 2015-16 season. She also coached the Logo Aquatics Club. In 2014-15, she was an assistant coach at her alma mater, UNLV.
As a Rebel, Herrington was a two-time Division I All-American. Competing from 2010 to 2014, she was a two-time Mountain West recordholder, and still holds the conference mark in the 100 fly (51.48). She also swam at the 2012 Olympic Trials. She was a four-time Mountain West Academic All-Conference honoree.
Herrington received her bachelor's degree in hotel administration from UNLV in 2014 and is currently working towards a master's degree in Health and Exercise Sports Science at Pacific.
THE KATELYNE HERRINGTON FILE
Coaching Experience
2019-Present: Pacific, Head Coach
2018-19: Fresno Pacific, Head Coach
2016-18: Pacific, Assistant Coach
2015-16: New Mexico, Director of Operations
2014-15: UNLV, Assistant Coach
Awards
2025 MPSF Men's Swimming Head Coach of the Year
Head Coaching History
| Year |
School |
Position |
| 2025-26 |
Pacific |
Head Coach |
| 2024-25 |
Pacific |
Head Coach |
| 2023-24 |
Pacific |
Head Coach |
| 2022-23 |
Pacific |
Head Coach |
| 2021-22 |
Pacific |
Head Coach |
| 2020-21 |
Pacific |
Head Coach |
| 2019-20 |
Pacific |
Head Coach |
| 2018-19 |
Fresno Pacific |
Head Coach |
