PENSACOLA, Fla. – The University of West Florida women's swimming and diving head coach Philip Kraus has officially retired following eight seasons of leading the Argonauts.
Kraus was the architect that helped establish UWF as one of the premier swimming and diving programs in NCAA Division II. Since taking over the program in July 2018, he guided the Argonauts to seven consecutive New South Intercollegiate Swim Conference championships, numerous record-setting performances and multiple top-12 finishes at the NCAA Division II Championships.
Kraus was named the NSISC Swimming Coach of the Year in each of the past seven seasons, earning the honor annually from 2020 through 2026. His teams captured every conference championship contested during that span, including a record-setting 407-point victory at the 2023 NSISC Championships.
The Argonauts also became a consistent presence on the national stage under Kraus. The Argos recorded several top-12 finishes at the NCAA Championships, highlighted by a sixth-place finish in 2024 and a program-best fourth-place finish in 2026.
UWF produced three national championship performances and NCAA Division II records during Kraus' tenure.
Agata Naskret won national championships and set records in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 50.91 seconds and the 200-yard backstroke in 1:52.90. Naskret, along with
Alena Rozova,
Livia Rodrigues and
Sofia Kendzior, won the 400-yard medley relay on the national stage in 2026, setting a Division II record of 3:35.21.
The Argonauts compiled 198 College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America All-America performances during Kraus' eight seasons, including 79 first-team and 119 second-team/honorable-mention selections. UWF led the country in 2024 with 14 student-athletes receiving All-America recognition.
Kraus' teams matched their athletic accomplishments with continued success in the classroom. UWF earned CSCAA Scholar All-America Team recognition in all 16 semesters of his tenure while maintaining an average team GPA of 3.65. The Argonauts set a program record with a 3.84 team GPA and led all Division II programs with a 3.81 GPA during the fall 2020 semester.
A search will begin for the next head coach of the women's swimming and diving program.
For more information on the UWF swimming and diving program, visit GoArgos.com and follow the team on social media at @uwfswimdive (Instagram) and @UWFSwimDive (X).
