Staff Directory
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Kristy Brager wrapped her second season as an assistant coach with the University of Michigan swimming and diving program. She joined the staff in Sept. 2016 after a four-year stint at the University of Iowa.
Brager has worked alongside Mike Bottom and Rick Bishop in elevating the women's team to national prominence. In 2018, Brager's second year on deck, Michigan won its third-straight Big Ten title and finished fourth at the NCAA Championships, the program's best finish in 22 years.Â
In addition to taking the lead on recruiting, Brager's biggest impact has been with the breaststroke group. She coached Miranda Tucker to school records in both the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke, helping Tucker reach the podium in both events at the NCAA Championships. In total, seven of the program's top ten fastest times in the 100-yard breaststroke have come under Brager's watch. At the 2017 Big Ten Championships, all seven of the team's swimmers in both the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke scored points.Â
At Iowa, Brager worked closely with the breaststroke and individual medley swimmers and served as the recruiting coordinator for the women's team. Several swimmers excelled under Brager's watch: Emma Sougstad earned a Top 50 world ranking in the 50-meter breaststroke and set four individual school records, while Roman Trussov was a three-time individual qualifier for the NCAA Championships and was runner-up in the 100-meter breaststroke at the 2016 Big Ten Championships. Additionally, both swimmers were NCAA All-America honorable mentions in 2016.
Prior to Iowa, Brager spent two years as an assistant coach at George Mason (2011-12), primarily coaching the team's primary sprint and middle distance swimmers. She also acted as recruiting coordinator and oversaw all dryland and weight training programs. Among her notable swimmers included Ashley Danner, a two-time NCAA runner-up, and Amanda Kendall, a two-time U.S. Olympic Trials semifinalist and Pan American Games champion.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Dec. 2008 with a degree in economics. She was a four-year letterwinner for the Badgers (2005-08), serving as team captain as a senior and twice earning Academic All-Big Ten recognition (2007-08).
