Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Names Rachel Stratton-Mills Director of Swimming & Diving
8/4/2023 12:00:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern University Vice President for Athletics & Recreation Dr. Derrick Gragg announced the hiring of Rachel Stratton-Mills as Director of Swimming & Diving on Friday. Stratton-Mills, who will guide both the men's and women's programs, joins the Wildcats after spending the last six seasons at Arizona State University, the last four of which have come as associate head coach.
"We are thrilled to welcome Rachel, Glenn, and Madison to the Wildcat family," Gragg said. "Throughout a comprehensive search Rachel quickly established herself atop a competitive candidate pool. Success has followed her at every stop throughout her career and I have no doubt that will continue in Evanston as Rachel leads Northwestern Swimming & Diving."
"I am honored and excited to join Northwestern University as Director of Swimming & Diving. I have always admired Northwestern as an institution, and the opportunity to lead the finest student-athletes in the country is a dream come true," remarked Stratton-Mills. "Northwestern swimming & diving is perfectly positioned to be champions in the pool while maintaining our world-class reputation for academic excellence. I want to thank Dr. Derrick Gragg and the entire search committee for their trust in my vision for this program. My family and I are so grateful to become a part of the Wildcat Family, and we can't wait to get started."
Mills' arrival at Arizona State in April of 2017 coincided with one of the most successful eras for the Arizona State swimming & diving program, a run that saw her mentor 11 Sun Devil women to All-American honors. The highlight of that group was Cierra Runge, a First Team All-American who claimed a Gold Medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Four Sun Devils have laid claim to Pac-12 Conference Titles under the tutelage of Stratton-Mills, with Lindsay Looney taking home the league's 500 freestyle crown this past season.
Stratton-Mills' influence has also been evident in Arizona State's team success at the NCAA Championships. The Sun Devils improved their finish in each of Mills' first three years on staff, a stretch that concluded with a 20th-place finish in 2019 that marked the program's top team showing since 2012.
Prior to her stay at Arizona State, Stratton-Mills, who also has coaching stops at the University of Maryland and Dartmouth College on her resume, served as head coach of Asphalt Green United Aquatics from 2010-15. During her stay at the club, Stratton-Mills saw an athlete earn a spot on the 2012 United States Olympic Team, while a pair of athletes were named to the U.S. National Junior Team. She also served on staff for Team USA at both the Short Course World Championships and Junior World Championships.
Apart from her time on the collegiate and club levels, Stratton-Mills boasts coaching experience on the professional level, having spent the 2019 season with the D.C. Trident of the International Swim League, where she was part of one of the first all-female professional sport staffs in history.
A native of Los Gatos, Calif. who competed collegiately at UCLA, Stratton-Mills currently serves on USA Swimming's Rules & Regulations Committee. She is also a member of a USA Swimming Safe Sport Task Force, which focuses on Safe Sport Regulations. Stratton-Mills holds a bachelor's in sociology from UCLA and a master's in liberal studies from Arizona State.
Stratton-Mills and her husband, Glenn Mills, are parents to a daughter, Madison.
"We are thrilled to welcome Rachel, Glenn, and Madison to the Wildcat family," Gragg said. "Throughout a comprehensive search Rachel quickly established herself atop a competitive candidate pool. Success has followed her at every stop throughout her career and I have no doubt that will continue in Evanston as Rachel leads Northwestern Swimming & Diving."
"I am honored and excited to join Northwestern University as Director of Swimming & Diving. I have always admired Northwestern as an institution, and the opportunity to lead the finest student-athletes in the country is a dream come true," remarked Stratton-Mills. "Northwestern swimming & diving is perfectly positioned to be champions in the pool while maintaining our world-class reputation for academic excellence. I want to thank Dr. Derrick Gragg and the entire search committee for their trust in my vision for this program. My family and I are so grateful to become a part of the Wildcat Family, and we can't wait to get started."
Mills' arrival at Arizona State in April of 2017 coincided with one of the most successful eras for the Arizona State swimming & diving program, a run that saw her mentor 11 Sun Devil women to All-American honors. The highlight of that group was Cierra Runge, a First Team All-American who claimed a Gold Medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Four Sun Devils have laid claim to Pac-12 Conference Titles under the tutelage of Stratton-Mills, with Lindsay Looney taking home the league's 500 freestyle crown this past season.
Stratton-Mills' influence has also been evident in Arizona State's team success at the NCAA Championships. The Sun Devils improved their finish in each of Mills' first three years on staff, a stretch that concluded with a 20th-place finish in 2019 that marked the program's top team showing since 2012.
Prior to her stay at Arizona State, Stratton-Mills, who also has coaching stops at the University of Maryland and Dartmouth College on her resume, served as head coach of Asphalt Green United Aquatics from 2010-15. During her stay at the club, Stratton-Mills saw an athlete earn a spot on the 2012 United States Olympic Team, while a pair of athletes were named to the U.S. National Junior Team. She also served on staff for Team USA at both the Short Course World Championships and Junior World Championships.
Apart from her time on the collegiate and club levels, Stratton-Mills boasts coaching experience on the professional level, having spent the 2019 season with the D.C. Trident of the International Swim League, where she was part of one of the first all-female professional sport staffs in history.
A native of Los Gatos, Calif. who competed collegiately at UCLA, Stratton-Mills currently serves on USA Swimming's Rules & Regulations Committee. She is also a member of a USA Swimming Safe Sport Task Force, which focuses on Safe Sport Regulations. Stratton-Mills holds a bachelor's in sociology from UCLA and a master's in liberal studies from Arizona State.
Stratton-Mills and her husband, Glenn Mills, are parents to a daughter, Madison.
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