Bucknell University Athletics
Photo by: James T. Giffen
Swimming and Diving To Open Up Season on Saturday Under New Head Coach, Josh Huger
10/16/2026 2:55:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell women's swimming and diving team kicks off a new era under first-year head coach Josh Huger (pronounced U-G) on Saturday as the Bison host Boston University at Kinney Natatorium on Saturday to begin the 2026-27 season.
The program bid farewell to 20-year head coach, Dan Schinnerer, who was the longest tenured coach and the winningest coach in Bucknell history on the women's side. He was a three-time men's Patriot League Coach of the Year (2008, 2010, 2022) and a two-time women's Patriot League Coach of the Year (2013, 2020).
Schinnerer laid a strong foundation for Huger's arrival. In Schinnerer's time, every individual and relay record were broken, and all but 11 times on the top-10 lists came under his leadership. Under Schinnerer, the Bison women have placed fifth or better at the Patriot League Championships in every season.
"One of the biggest aspects I'm excited about in this opportunity at Bucknell is that we have an opportunity to build upon what has been a successful program," said Huger. "I'm excited to bring some new ideas, new expectations and new standards into the program. I believe I think about the sport a little differently than others and that isn't always easy. All the way down to how you abbreviate things, how you leave the wall, how you think about starts, how you make turns. All of those things are fine details by themselves but add up in big ways. I'm excited to see the team continue to embrace those new ideals and see where it takes us."
Huger arrived to Bucknell this summer with a wealth of experience, most recently serving as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Cal Berkely. Huger has coached collegiately for more than 10 seasons, also spending time at Tennessee, Virginia Tech, William & Mary and Indiana (Pa.) as an assistant coach.
"I've been blessed to have had cool coaching experiences working for and alongside some of the brightest minds in our sport," said Huger. "It's something that I try not to take for granted. Throughout my career, I've learned that there's a lot of different ways to swim fast. Every stop along the way, there's been differences, and as I've progressed in my career, you add tools to the tool belt and you also take some out."
Huger with lead the Bison alongside diving coach Errol Carter and assistant coaches Collin Hummel and Ryan Lincicum. Carter is a highly-respected diving coach who completed his 30th season at Bucknell last year. Hummel, a Lewisburg native, begins his third year with the Bison, and Lincicum joined the staff this past summer.
"My coaching style is ever-evolving, but it starts with developing relationships. Every individual is different and there's different things that make different people tick. As we build relationships and time goes on, we're laying a foundation where we understand the different things everybody needs. We want to put energy into helps them implement their skills and needs. This staff does a great job bringing energy on deck, and we want the team to be empowered to control their own energy and progression."
The Bucknell women are coming off of a 7-2 (6-2 PL) season where they took third at the Patriot League Championships. Bucknell's only losses came at the hands of Navy, and the meet against Army came down to the final events.Â
"What I've seen in preseason is a lot of potential. We have an abundance of talent and many athletes who are hungry for more. They're eager to go toe-to-toe with some of the top teams in our conference and that's an exciting combination as we look to work our way through the season."
The Bucknell men are coming off of a 5-4 (4-4 PL) season where they took fifth at the Patriot League Championships. Huger has set a strong standard early in his time at Bucknell, and the team is already embracing the challenges he has set.
"My expectation for the men is to take big strides in and out of the water to better ourselves and improve in a lot of ways. The intensity we bring in the pool, the focus we have out of the pool, and everything in between from recovery to nutrition. We're looking to lay a foundation we can build upon and as we attack those areas, we're going to see the team take steps throughout this year and beyond."
On the women's side, the Bison return 24 athletes, including four All-Patriot League performers and two Patriot League Champions. The freshman Bison welcomed eight freshmen to the team this fall. For the men, Bucknell returns a strong group of impactful, veteran athletes mixed in with young, hungry talent. The team returns 18 student-athletes, and nine of which made noise on Bucknell's top-10 lists. The teams also boasts a strong group of 10 freshmen looking to break into the squad this season.Â
Let's take a closer look at the 2026-27 Bucknell's swimming and diving teams:Â
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The program bid farewell to 20-year head coach, Dan Schinnerer, who was the longest tenured coach and the winningest coach in Bucknell history on the women's side. He was a three-time men's Patriot League Coach of the Year (2008, 2010, 2022) and a two-time women's Patriot League Coach of the Year (2013, 2020).
Schinnerer laid a strong foundation for Huger's arrival. In Schinnerer's time, every individual and relay record were broken, and all but 11 times on the top-10 lists came under his leadership. Under Schinnerer, the Bison women have placed fifth or better at the Patriot League Championships in every season.
"One of the biggest aspects I'm excited about in this opportunity at Bucknell is that we have an opportunity to build upon what has been a successful program," said Huger. "I'm excited to bring some new ideas, new expectations and new standards into the program. I believe I think about the sport a little differently than others and that isn't always easy. All the way down to how you abbreviate things, how you leave the wall, how you think about starts, how you make turns. All of those things are fine details by themselves but add up in big ways. I'm excited to see the team continue to embrace those new ideals and see where it takes us."
Huger arrived to Bucknell this summer with a wealth of experience, most recently serving as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Cal Berkely. Huger has coached collegiately for more than 10 seasons, also spending time at Tennessee, Virginia Tech, William & Mary and Indiana (Pa.) as an assistant coach.
"I've been blessed to have had cool coaching experiences working for and alongside some of the brightest minds in our sport," said Huger. "It's something that I try not to take for granted. Throughout my career, I've learned that there's a lot of different ways to swim fast. Every stop along the way, there's been differences, and as I've progressed in my career, you add tools to the tool belt and you also take some out."
Huger with lead the Bison alongside diving coach Errol Carter and assistant coaches Collin Hummel and Ryan Lincicum. Carter is a highly-respected diving coach who completed his 30th season at Bucknell last year. Hummel, a Lewisburg native, begins his third year with the Bison, and Lincicum joined the staff this past summer.
"My coaching style is ever-evolving, but it starts with developing relationships. Every individual is different and there's different things that make different people tick. As we build relationships and time goes on, we're laying a foundation where we understand the different things everybody needs. We want to put energy into helps them implement their skills and needs. This staff does a great job bringing energy on deck, and we want the team to be empowered to control their own energy and progression."
The Bucknell women are coming off of a 7-2 (6-2 PL) season where they took third at the Patriot League Championships. Bucknell's only losses came at the hands of Navy, and the meet against Army came down to the final events.Â
"What I've seen in preseason is a lot of potential. We have an abundance of talent and many athletes who are hungry for more. They're eager to go toe-to-toe with some of the top teams in our conference and that's an exciting combination as we look to work our way through the season."
The Bucknell men are coming off of a 5-4 (4-4 PL) season where they took fifth at the Patriot League Championships. Huger has set a strong standard early in his time at Bucknell, and the team is already embracing the challenges he has set.
"My expectation for the men is to take big strides in and out of the water to better ourselves and improve in a lot of ways. The intensity we bring in the pool, the focus we have out of the pool, and everything in between from recovery to nutrition. We're looking to lay a foundation we can build upon and as we attack those areas, we're going to see the team take steps throughout this year and beyond."
On the women's side, the Bison return 24 athletes, including four All-Patriot League performers and two Patriot League Champions. The freshman Bison welcomed eight freshmen to the team this fall. For the men, Bucknell returns a strong group of impactful, veteran athletes mixed in with young, hungry talent. The team returns 18 student-athletes, and nine of which made noise on Bucknell's top-10 lists. The teams also boasts a strong group of 10 freshmen looking to break into the squad this season.Â
Let's take a closer look at the 2026-27 Bucknell's swimming and diving teams:Â
     Â
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Saturday, October 17
Thursday, October 15
Wednesday, October 14
Wednesday, October 14