Utah Head Coach Joe Dykstra Resigns After Nine Seasons

Photo Courtesy: Utah Athletics

Utah Head Coach Joe Dykstra Resigns After Nine Seasons

The University of Utah is looking for a new head swimming and diving coach after Joe Dykstra resigned on Wednesday after nine seasons at the helm.

“I am stepping down from my position to focus on my personal health and to pursue future opportunities,” Dykstra said in a Utah release. “I’d like to thank Mark Harlan and Utah Athletics leadership for their support. I have loved my time at Utah and I’m grateful for the student-athletes, coaches and staff who have made my experience here so memorable. I’m proud of what we’ve been able to build here and I’m excited for the future of the Utes’ swimming and diving program.”

Dykstra produced 25 CSCAA All-America swimmers in his time at Utah to go with 79 Scholar All-Americans. The men’s team posted a 2-5 record this season, going winless in three conference meets and finishing sixth out of six teams at the Pac-12 championships. The women’s team went 3-2, with both of the losses in the conference. The Utes finished seventh out of eight teams at Pac-12s.

The Utes qualified four divers for NCAAs this season.

Dykstra arrived in Utah in 2013 after seven seasons as the women’s head coach at North Texas. He was twice the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year, helping the Mean Green finish runner-up in the conference in 2013 and qualify their first swimmer to NCAAs. Dykstra also spent six seasons as the associate head coach of the men’s and women’s programs at Washington, his alma mater, from 2001-06. The Huskies made two top-25 NCAA finishes in that time. He started his career as a volunteer assistant coach at Tennessee in 1999-00.

He served as the CSCAA president for 2020.

“I want to thank Joe Dykstra for his outstanding service to Utah Athletics in guiding our men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs,” Utah Director of Athletics Mark Harlan said. “He led the programs and our student-athletes to significant achievements both in competition and in the classroom, and we are grateful for his leadership. We wish Joe well in his next endeavors.”

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