Head Swimming Coach Harper’s Contract Extended
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Head Coach Neil Harper’s contract with the Razorbacks has been extended through the 2026-27 season. The new three-year contract comes on the heels of a successful season for the Razorbacks that saw the team finish 36th in the NCAA Championships while going 7-2 in dual meets, including SEC wins over Kentucky and LSU.
Harper is the eighth coach in program history, joining the Razorbacks in 2016 and leading them to five top-30 finishes in the NCAA. Harper holds a 226-73 record as a women’s head coach with a combined 338-118 record overall. Harper notched his 300th overall win as a head coach in the Arkansas Natatorium in 2017 with a victory over Nebraska. Harper has coached teams to 3 conference championships: one ACC Women’s Championship at FSU, one ACC Men’s Championship at FSU, and one Mountain West Women’s Championship at Nevada.
In his career, Harper has coached 170 individual and relay All-Americans. Harper, a two-time Olympian himself, has coached 20 Olympians including Gold Medalist Anna Hopkin and Bronze Medalist Steve Parry.
Not only have athletes under Harper’s tutelage excelled in the pool, but they have also excelled in the classroom. Every year of Harper’s career as a head coach, his teams have received Academic All-American honors and have set program-highs for team GPA.
Harper commented, “I am honored and extremely grateful to have the opportunity to continue the work, success and future goals of our current and future teams. Our incoming signing class, together with returning scorers, gives us all challenging yet realistic expectations for the future of our program!”
“Throughout his tenure, Neil Harper has guided our women’s swimming and diving program to success both in and outside the pool,” Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek said. “With five top-30 NCAA finishes and record success in the classroom, our women’s swimming and diving program continues to achieve milestones along the way. We are pleased that Coach Harper will continue to lead our program in the years to come as we compete in the Southeastern Conference and nationally.”