Samantha Pickens joined the Penn State swimming and diving staff as Head Diving Coach in July 2026.
Pickens served as diving coach at Liberty the last two seasons. She was the Atlantic Sun Women’s Diving Coach of the Year in 2024-25.
In 2025-26, Liberty had three divers compete at the NCAA Zone Championships. Shannon Icard broke Liberty’s 10-dive platform record and became Liberty’s first diver to compete at NCAA Championships.
In her first season working with Liberty’s divers, Pickens mentored three divers who competed at NCAA Zone Championships. Icard was tabbed ASUN Most Outstanding Female Diver of the Meet at the Atlantic Sun Championships.
Before joining Liberty’s staff, Pickens was an assistant diving coach for the city of Midland, Texas from 2018-July 2024. She led Midland’s 11U elite Junior Olympic athletes, helping five athletes to qualify for national championships. While coordinating a strength and conditioning program for the team, Pickens was meet director for multiple USA Diving competitions and COM sanctioned events in Midland.
Pickens also served as an athlete representative on the USA Diving Board of Directors and served as an alternate representative on the USOPC Athlete Commission.
Pickens served as Interim Head Diving Coach at Arizona, her alma mater, for the 2017-18 season. She handled recruiting and helped two Wildcats qualify for NCAA Zone Championships and one Wildcat to earn All-American honors on one-meter.
In March 2017, Pickens served as Team Puerto Rico’s head coach. She coordinated travel and visas for Team Puerto Rico for two World Series events in China and coached Olympic finalist Rafa Quintero.
Pickens served as a USA Diving athlete representative from 2011-13. She represented USA Diving athletes while attending the annual United States Aquatic Sports Convention.
While competing for Arizona, and graduating in 2014, Pickens was a five-time All-American and claimed national championships on one-meter in 2013 and 2015. She won the Pac-12 one-meter title as a senior. She earned the University of Arizona Ruby Award, the highest award given to Arizona student-athletes for athletic and academic achievement, as a senior. She was named to the Pac-12 All-Century Team in 2016, one of the top 32 swimmers & divers in conference history.
Her career as an athlete includes numerous national championships and international appearances. She was the USA Diving national champion on one-meter in 2013 and 2015, while also capturing a USA Diving synchronized diving title on three-meter in 2013. Pickens was a member of the USA Diving national team during the 2013-14 season. She competed in U.S. Olympic Trials in 2016, 2021 and 2024, earning bronze medals on three-meter synchronized diving in 2021 and 2024. As the 2020 USA Diving Nationals, she was the high point winner. Pickens won the USA Diving US Open title on one-meter and three-meter in 2022.
Internationally, Pickens placed third on three-meter at the 2015 FINA Puerto Rico Grand Prix. She was a World University Games finalist in 2013 and 2015, helping Team USA to a silver medal in 2013. Pickens competed in the World Championships final in 2013, finishing seventh on three-meter synchronized diving. In 2015, she qualified for both the World Championships and FINA Diving World Series. She finished third on three-meter at the 2020 FINA Madrid Grand Prix before securing an Olympic quota spot for the US on three-meter at the 2021 FINA Diving World Cup. Pickens secured ninth on three-meter at the 2022 World Aquatics World Cup and was a 2024 Canada Cup silver medalist on three-meter synchronized diving.
A native of Western PA, Pickens was inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame in 2021 for her diving achievements at Franklin Regional High School.