Alabama Swimming and Diving Coach Coley Stickles Steps Down; Replaced by Margo Geer

Crimson Tide swimming and diving coach Coley Stickels resigns position to focus on training athletes for the Olympics

Coley Stickels has resigned from his position as head coach of the Alabama Swimming and Diving program to focus more of his attention on training athletes for Olympic and other national and international competitions.

“This was not an easy decision, but I’ve decided it is best to step down as head coach of the Alabama Swimming & Diving program,” Stickels said in a release. “It’s been an honor to serve in this position at Alabama. After personal reflection, however, I need to reprioritize my time to concentrate on training athletes for national and international competition, including the upcoming Olympics. 

"I wish the team all of the best going forward and know they are in good hands.”

Margo Geer, 2015 World Champion and four-time Pan American Games gold medalist, has been selected as the program’s next head coach. She will take the reins once her competitive career concludes as she is currently training for the 2021 Olympic Games.

Geer, who also serves as a volunteer assistant coach for the Crimson Tide, is a 27-time All-American, winning three NCAA Championships while at Arizona and was the 2015 Pac-12 Woman of the Year and finalist for NCAA Woman of the Year.

Associate head coach Ozzie Quevedo will serve as the interim head coach until completion of Geer’s swimming career.

Stickels joined the program in April of 2019, coaching all of the shortened 2019-20 season in addition to the fall portion of this year’s slate. Under his tutelage, a total of 24 student-athletes qualified for the 2020 NCAA Championships and 22 earned a total of 57 All-America honors. 

At the 2020 SEC Championships, Alabama broke 23 school records and earned a combined 15 medals.