Samantha Pickens - Diving Coach - Women's Swimming & Diving Coaches

Samantha Pickens

Title:
Diving Coach
Email:
spickens7@liberty.edu

Samantha Pickens, a national champion and Team USA diver, joined the Liberty swimming & diving coaching staff as Liberty’s Diving Coach in July 2024.

During her first season coaching Liberty's divers, Pickens was named the ASUN Women's Diving Coach of the Year. She coached three divers who qualified for and competed at NCAA Zone Championships. Additionally, sophomore Shannon Icard was named ASUN Most Outstanding Female Diver of the Meet after winning both one-meter and three-meter at the conference meet. Icard and Maddie Freece went 1-2, in that order, on both boards. At NCAA Zone Championships, Icard earned finals appearances on both three-meter and platform, with her platform score setting a new program 10-dive score for the event.

Prior to joining Liberty's staff, Pickens served as an Assistant Diving Coach for the City of Midland, Texas, since 2018. During that time, she has coordinated and led Midland’s 11U elite Junior Olympic athletes, qualifying five athletes to national championships. While coordinating a strength and conditioning program for the team, Pickens has been meet director for numerous USA Diving competitions and COM sanctioned events in Midland

For the last year, Pickens has been an athlete representative on the USA Diving Board of Directors. She makes crucial voting decisions in the best interest of the athletes and serves as an alternate representative on the USOPC Athlete Commission.

A 2014 graduate of the University of Arizona, Pickens spent the 2017-18 season as Interim Head Diving Coach. Taking over at midseason, she handled recruiting of incoming prospects while also helping two Wildcats qualify for the NCAA Zone Championships. That season, one of Arizona’s divers earned All-American honors on one-meter.

In March of 2017, she served as Team Puerto Rico team leader and Head Coach. She coordinated all travel and visas for Team Puerto Rico for two World Series events in China. Pickens coached Olympic finalist Rafa Quintero.

An elite diver in her own right, Pickens served as USA Diving athlete representative from 2011-13. In that role, she represented all USA Diving athletes, attended the annual United States Aquatic Sports Convention and voted on important organizational matters.

While competing for Arizona, Pickens was a five-time NCAA All-American, capped by national championships on one-meter in both 2013 and 2015. She also won the Pac-12 one-meter title as a senior. Pickens earned the University of Arizona Ruby Award as a senior. The Ruby Award is the highest award given to any Arizona student-athlete for athlete achievements and academic achievements. She was named to the Pac-12 All-Century Team in 2016, one of the top 32 swimmers & divers in conference history.

Her extensive career includes many national championships and international appearances. She was the USA Diving national champion on one-meter in both 2013 and 2015, while winning a USA Diving synchronized diving title on three-meter in 2013. Pickens was a member of the USA Diving national team during the 2013-14 season. She has competed in U.S. Olympic Trials in 2016, 2021 and 2024, earning bronze medals on three-meter synchronized diving in both 2021 and 2024. At the 2020 USA Diving Nationals, she was the High Point Winner. Pickens won the USA Diving US Open title on both one-meter and three-meter in 2022.

Internationally, Pickens finished third on three-meter at the 2015 FINA Puerto Rico Grand Prix. She was a World University Games finalist in both 2013 and 2015, helping Team USA to a silver medal in 2013. Pickens qualified for the World Championships final in 2013, finishing seventh on three-meter synchronized diving. During 2015, she qualified for both the World Championships and FINA Diving World Series. She finished third on three-meter at the 2020 FINA Madrid Grand Prix before securing an Olympic quota spot for the United States on three-meter at the 2021 FINA Diving World Cup. Pickens placed ninth on three-meter at the 2022 World Aquatics World Cup and was a 2024 Canada Cup silver medalist on three-meter synchro.

Originally from Western Pennsylvania, Pickens was inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame in 2021 for her diving excellence at Franklin Regional High School.