STANFORD, Calif. - Tracy Slusser is stepping down after 11 years on The Farm in her role as the associate head coach for the Stanford women's swimming and diving program.
One of Stanford's longest-tenured assistants, Slusser had been a fixture on the coaching staff since 2012 and promoted to associate head coach in 2014 after two years as an assistant coach.
During her tenure on The Farm, Slusser helped guide the Cardinal to three consecutive NCAA championships (2017-19) and seven Pac-12 titles (2013, 2017-20, 2022-23).
"It has been an absolute honor to lead this program for the past 11 seasons alongside Greg Meehan," said Slusser. "I am humbled and proud of what we have accomplished together with so many amazing young women over the years. The friendships and memories will last far beyond my time on the pool deck. The Stanford Athletics community has been unwavering in showing their support for the program, as well as for me and my family over the years. We will continue to cheer on the Card from the stands."
"Tracy has been an amazing coach, mentor, colleague and friend for the last 11 years," said Meehan, Stanford's Paul A. Violich Director of Women's Swimming. "Tracy poured her heart and soul into the Stanford Women's Swimming and Diving program and embodied the tenets of Stanford Athletics: lead with courage; embrace scholar athleticism; work cohesively; and pursue and revere excellence. Tracy's passion to make a difference in the lives of these young women is unmatched and they are all the better for it. While we will certainly miss her, we are excited for Tracy, Adam, Ivy and Jade as she moves into this next phase of her life. Thank you, Tracy!"
Since an eighth-place NCAA showing in her first season on staff, Slusser helped transform Stanford into a perennial title contender, with the Cardinal producing eight top-three finishes during her tenure. Stanford's historic three-peat began in 2017 with the program's first national title in 19 years, continued in 2018 with the third-largest margin of victory of all-time and concluded in 2019 as the first school to accomplish the feat since Auburn from 2002-04.
Slusser's primary contributions were centered around player development and recruiting. Slusser mentored six Pac-12 Swimmers of the Year and eight Pac-12 Newcomers of the Year while guiding the Cardinal to 18 relay national championships and 30 individual national championships. Meanwhile, Slusser was integral in Stanford signing multiple No. 1 classes and securing commitments from some of the best swimmers in the sport.
While at Stanford, Slusser also contributed significantly to the success of USA Swimming and the US National Team, supporting Cardinal student-athletes in all levels of international competition, including as a head coach and assistant coach at the World University Games (2017, 2019).
In the summer prior to Stanford's 2017 NCAA season, Slusser helped train Maya DiRado, Manuel and Lia Neal, with the trio combining to win nine Olympic medals (four gold) at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Prior to Stanford, Slusser served as an assistant coach for one year at Arizona and five seasons at Texas A&M.
Slusser, who earned All-America honorable mention honors as a swimmer at Purdue, also served as a volunteer assistant coach with the Boilermakers and was instrumental in Purdue's nine school records and top-25 finish at the 2006 NCAA Championships.
A 2006 graduate of Purdue, Slusser earned a bachelor's degree in health promotion. Slusser is a former College Swim Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) All-Academic honoree and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. She became the first Boilermaker in program history to break the 23-second barrier in the 50 freestyle, and made a trio of appearances at the NCAA Championships (2003, 2004, 2005), which included honorable mention All-America honors in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays.
A native of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, Slusser and her husband, Adam, have two children, Ivy and Jade.