CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Amanda Kulik, longtime Harvard Women's Swimming and Diving associate head coach, has been named The Costin Family Head Coach for Harvard Women's Swimming & Diving. Kulik succeeds Stephanie Wriede Morawski '92, who announced her decision to leave coaching earlier today after 26 seasons at the helm of the program. 
 
"It is an incredible honor to be named the new Costin Family Head Coach of Harvard Women's Swimming & Diving," Kulik said. "I am grateful and excited to step into this role where I will continue to promote a culture of competitive and academic excellence, and foster an environment of balance, connection and support within our team, within our athletics department and within the greater Harvard community.
 
"Thank you to Erin McDermott, The John D. Nichols '53 Family Director of Athletics, for giving me the opportunity to lead this amazing group of women. I would also like to thank Stephanie Morawski for her mentorship, leadership, and dedication. It was a privilege to learn from her and work beside her for the past 10 seasons. I look forward to leading and empowering the women of HWSD and I cannot wait to get started! Go Crimson!"
 
"We are elated to have such an amazing person right here to be our next head coach," McDermott said. "Amanda is a respected and impactful professional who has been a true partner in the success of Harvard Women's Swimming and Diving. We look forward to watching her take the lead and imprinting her own vision and style on the program."
 
A former two-sport athlete at Trinity College, Kulik joined the Crimson as an assistant coach in Nov. 2013, before being promoted to associate head coach in Aug. 2017. In 10 seasons, Harvard has arguably enjoyed its most successful period with Kulik on the coaching staff.
 
During her tenure in Cambridge, Kulik has helped the Crimson finish in first or second place at the Ivy League Championships in each of the nine seasons in which the conference meet was held (2021 – Did not compete due to pandemic), with Harvard claiming trophies in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2022. In addition to winning team titles, Kulik coached 13 athletes who qualified for the NCAA Championships, including a pair that finished in the top 20 nationally in their respective events (Miki Dahlke '20 – 17^th in 200 free in 2019; Felicia Pasadyn '22 – 15^th in 400 IM in 2022), six NCAA All-Americans and an NCAA Elite 90 recipient (Pasadyn '22), all while watching 18 program records be established.
 
Kulik's impact, however, was not limited to the pool. In addition to handling recruiting, travel logistics and operations, Kulik was instrumental in the development of the program's student-athletes. She served as an advisor and mentor, while fostering growth through the program's Leadership Council, the team's diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, and its work in the community. Harvard also excelled in the classroom during Kulik's tenure, earning College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America Team honors every semester in which the CSCAA released GPAs. In the Spring of 2021, the Crimson posted the top term GPA in NCAA Division I at 3.90.
 
Before joining Morawski at Blodgett Pool, Kulik was an assistant coach at Smith College in Northampton for two full seasons (Sept. 2011-Nov. 2013). She was involved with all aspects of the program, including program creation, outreach, recruiting, travel, and fundraising.
 
After earning her bachelor's degree in Hispanic studies with a minor in performing arts from Trinity in 2008, Kulik joined the Eaglebrook School swimming staff in Deerfield, assisting with the varsity and junior varsity teams from Sept. 2008-June 2011, while also teaching Spanish. During the summer of 2009 and 2010, Kulik served as an assistant athletic director, overseeing the daily operations on campus.
 
During her time at Smith and Harvard, Kulik has helped grow the sport of swimming in their respective communities. While at Smith, she was a masters coach, helping swimmers reach their various personal goals. Then when she arrived in the Greater Boston Area, Kulik was a summer coordinator for Swimming Saves Lives and a masters coach with Charles River Aquatics before serving as its director of competitive swimming. She also worked at the Harvard Technique Swim Academy in the summertime, spanning her tenure at Smith and with the Crimson.
 
Recently recognized as a Harvard Hero (April 2023) by the University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Kulik was a co-captain of Trinity's women's swimming and diving and women's rowing teams, while landing on the Trinity College Dean's List.
 
In the pool, she was a NESCAC All-Academic Team selection, voted the team's Most Improved Woman Swimmer and finished her career in the Bantams' all-time top 10 in the 50-, 100- and 200-yard backstroke. Meanwhile in the boat, she was a CRCA Div. II-III National Scholar-Athlete and helped the Bantams to a pair of second- and third-place performances at the NCAA Div. III National Regatta.
 
In addition to obtaining her bachelor's degree from Trinity, Kulik earned her master's degree from Smith College in exercise & sports studies in May 2013.
 
Kulik will officially begin her head-coaching duties on Aug. 1.