The Hillsdale College women's swimming and diving team completed its coaching staff for the upcoming 2025-26 campaign at the start of August, hiring Maddie London as the lead assistant under head coach Kurt Kirner.

"Maddie made an instant impression on me when I first talked with her on the phone, and that good first impression only got better as I watched her talk with current student-athletes on her interview visit," Kirner said. "She is bright, curious and inspirational in her approach to working with college athletes and she's always striving to improve and learn more about the sport.

"She's a true leader who can relate closely to the Hillsdale College mission and to student-athletes thanks to her background and who she is as a person, and I think she's going to be great in this role at Hillsdale."

London is taking on her first collegiate coaching job and comes to Hillsdale after a five-year career as a Division I swimmer, including three seasons at the University of Pittsburgh from 2021 to 2024. A sprint freestyler and breaststroke competitor for the Panthers, London competed in a variety of meets and swam at the ACC Championships for Pittsburgh in the 50 free, 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke. London came to Pittsburgh after two seasons swimming competitively for the University of Arkansas, and also swam in high school at Collierville in her hometown in Tennessee, competing at the Tennessee state meet all four years of high school and setting her program's school record in the 200 individual medley.

While competing as a collegiate athlete, London also broke into coaching, serving as the head coach of the men's and women's swimming and diving programs at Shaler High School in Pittsburgh for two seasons from 2022 to 2024. During her time at Shaler, she helped the program qualify relays to the WPIAL Championships for the first time in over a decade, while working with teams of 30-plus athletes and managing the day-to-day operations of the swim program.

"Maddie's experience as a head coach is rare for someone her age and a great foundation for her to build on as she gets into college coaching," Kirner said. "She swam for a renowned and well-respected coach at the University of Pittsburgh, Chase Kreitler, and can draw on that experience as well."

London graduated from Pitt in 2023 with a B.A. in Communications and a minor in writing, and completed a Master's Degree from Pitt in Marketing Science the following year. She also has earned a post-degree certificate in Sports Marketing Partnerships and Sponsorships from ELVTR in 2025.

The Hillsdale College swimming and diving team kicks off the 2025-26 campaign with its intrasquad Blue/White meet on Sept. 27. The Chargers' first official competition is Oct. 10, when Hillsdale travels to the Oberlin Invite.