The Hillsdale College women's swimming and diving team is ready for the start of the 2026-27 season in October as head coach Kurt Kirner completed his staff for the upcoming season earlier in August.

Maggie Kayt Franks joins the Chargers as an Assistant Women's Swimming and Diving coach, arriving at Hillsdale from her previous position at nearby Albion College, about a half and hour north.

"We're very excited to add Maggie to our program," Kirner said. "She's someone I've gotten to know well and trust working the University of Michigan swim camp the past few summers, and I think she fits extremely well here, as someone who shares the values and culture of our school and program while also having the coaching ability and experience to help athletes develop and compete at the highest level."

Franks spent the 2025-26 season at Albion working with the distance program for the Britons, helping develop Casey Adcock, who posted to five marks in program history in the 500, 1,000 and 1,650 freestyle events, as well as several other talented swimmers. The job at Albion was Franks' second as a coach, coming on the heels of a one-year stint at her alma mater, Shawnee State, in the 2024-25 campaign. 

A talented swimmer herself, Franks excelled at Shawnee State, an NAIA program in Portsmouth, Ohio, from 2021 to 2024. Franks graduated from Shawnee State with a bachelor's in sport management with sports coaching and journalism minors. She was also an NAIA All-Scholar Athlete, a two-time Mid-South Conference All-Academic and College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honoree with a 3.78 GPA while earning top sports management graduate in her class and a nominee for Shawnee State's Woman of the Year.

In addition to her collegiate coaching at Shawnee State and Albion, Franks also has club coaching experience with Thundering Herd Aquatics in her hometown of Huntington, W. Va. She was also instrumental in the growth of Shawnee State's Youth Aquatics Program, helping the program go from three athletes to 20 in the first several months.

Additionally, Franks served as a swim camp coach at Indiana University in 2024 and the University of Michigan's camps in 2024, 2025 and 2026. 

In addition to her bachelor's degree from Shawnee State, Franks also earned her Master's of Science in Sports Management from Liberty University this past Spring. She is a certified USA Swimming Head Coach, and also has received her level 1 Para Swimming Certification.