Ashley Dell is set to enter her fourth season as the head coach of UIC Swimming and Diving entering the 2025-26 academic year.
The Flames maintained high level of competition in between the lanes during the 2024-25 season, as Dell led the Flames to a fourth-place finish with the men's team and a program-high fifth place for the women's team since joining the Missouri Valley Conference in the 2022-23 season. Alongside her assistant coaches, Dell led the Flames to a combined 39 top eight finishes, 14 finishes in the top three and 17 records broken. Dell also helped coached the first three Missouri Valley Conference champions in Molly Kroeger (500 freestyle), James McCarthy (200 breast) and Samantha Wilson (200 fly).
The program had 14 student-athletes qualify for the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association (CSCAA) National Invitational Championships to end the season, the most in school history. The men's team finished in eighth place at the event, which was a 15-place and 264.5 point improvement from a season ago.
Things didn’t let up for UIC Swimming and Diving under the leadership of Dell in her second season, as the men’s program placed fourth (532 points) in the highest (and final) finish in the Mid-American Conference championship meet in March 2024. The women’s team finished seventh in its second season in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Dell led the program to a 37 top eight finishes, 17 top three finishes, 11 new school records and 117 lifetime bests during the 2023-24 season.
In her first year leading the Flames, Dell was also navigating the process of joining new conferences. The women's team became a part of the Missouri Valley Conference, while the men's team joined the Mid-American Conference. Dell successfully prepared the men's team for a fifth-place finish at the MAC Championships, while the women's team secured seventh place in the MVC. Additionally, four divers from the Flames competed at the highly competitive NCAA Zone C Championships. The team's strong 2022-23 campaign was further recognized as many Flames received honors from their respective conferences.
Dell, who hails from Lake Forest, Ill., had served as an assistant coach and for the Flames since the 2019-20 campaign. In those three seasons, UIC swimmers have crowned six individual conference champions, set eight program records, and posted 102 top-10 times in the program’s record book. Dell has been the recruiting coordinator for the women’s team since her arrival in 2019.
In her first season on staff, Dell helped the both the men’s and women’s swimming teams improve two spots year-over-year at the 2020 Horizon League Championship. The men’s team once again swam third overall at the 2021 edition, while the women’s team made another sizable leap to place as runners-up, the highest finish in program history. That showing helped UIC claim the 2021 Horizon League Women’s All-Sport Championship for the first time ever.
With Dell as a member of the coaching staff, the Flames have also excelled in the classroom. Both UIC teams have been named to the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America list all five semesters to this point. Additionally, 18 student-athletes have been named to the Horizon League All-Academic Team since 2019-20, including seven apiece in each of the last two years.
Prior to joining the Flames Family, Dell spent two years as an assistant coach at her alma mater, the University of Iowa. From 2017-19, the Hawkeyes set 16 program records and qualified six swimmers for the NCAA Championship. While at Iowa, Dell served as the Big Ten Conference’s representative on the CSCAA top-25 polling committee. She was also a volunteer coach at Iowa from 2009-11.
Dell worked as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Southern Methodist University (SMU) from 2014-17. She helped the Mustangs win back-to-back American Athletic Conference (AAC) championships in 2015 and 2016 and was an integral member of the 2016 AAC Coaching Staff of the Year. Dell coached four 2016 Olympians in her time at SMU: Isabella Arcila (Colombia), Rachel Nichol (Canada), Nina Rangelova (Bulgaria), and Matea Samardzic (Croatia).
At SMU, Dell closely mentored a group that featured 18 individual AAC champions and 11 championship relay teams. She coached five NCAA qualifiers, as well.
The first full-time coaching opportunity for Dell came at The George Washington University from 2011-14. The Colonials set 19 school records during her time on staff.
As a student-athlete, Dell was a two-year captain at Iowa, where she swam from 2005-09. A 2008 CSCAA Scholar All-American and an Academic All-Big Ten honoree in 2009, she ranks eighth in program history with a time of 16:45.29 in the 1,650 freestyle. Dell also received the 2008 Allison Pennington Haddon Award at Iowa, presented to the women’s team member who exemplifies the qualities of integrity, authenticity, dedication, work ethic, perseverance, loyalty, encouragement, and leadership.
Dell earned a bachelor's degree in sport studies with a minor in Spanish from the University of Iowa in 2009. She went on to obtain her master’s degree in tourism management with a concentration in sports management from George Washington University in 2014.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT ASHLEY DELL:
Michael Lipitz, Former Director of Athletics at UIC:
“Ashley has played an integral role in the development of our student-athletes in and out of the pool during her time here. She has earned this opportunity and we look forward to the continued growth of our programs under her leadership.”
Steve Collins, Head Women’s Swimming Coach at SMU:
“I am very excited for Ashley in her new role at UIC. I have followed her career since we worked together at SMU and I knew she was destined for great things. She is a great coach that cares about her athletes and brings a positive energy to everything she does. I wish her and the Flames great success in the future.”
Katie Robinson, Director of Swimming & Diving at Northwestern:
“Ashley coaches with electric enthusiasm that is felt by everyone around her. Her energy and ability to have fun in the way she leads is charismatic. I also know her to truly care and support the person behind the student-athlete in a way that lifts the entire student-athlete experience, including performance. Ashley is incredibly passionate about leading UIC to great heights and I can’t wait to see it.”
Marc Long, Former Head Coach at Iowa:
“Ashley’s work ethic and enthusiasm are contagious. Matched only by the loyalty and dedication to her athletes, team, school, family, and friends. Anyone that’s a part of her program will benefit from these qualities as she leads them towards a championship-level program at UIC.”
