Email: nac@athletics.wisc.edu
Neil Caskey is in his fourth season as an assistant coach at Wisconsin for the 2018-19 season.
In his second season on the UW coaching staff, Caskey helped both the Badgers men and women to impressive finishes. The Wisconsin women took third place at the 2017 Big Ten Championships for their best conference showing since 2005, while the men claimed fifth place to secure a third-consecutive top-five Big Ten finish — something the program had not achieved since doing so from 1999 to 2004.
Senior Brett Pinfold became the first UW men's swimmer to earn first-team All-America accolades in the 200 freestyle with a school-record time of 1:33.21 — one of 12 UW records that fell for the Badgers men during the season. UW had five swimmers named All-America at the NCAA championships.
Another senior, 2016 Olympian Matt Hutchins, closed out his career by securing his 10th All-America honor with a fifth-place NCAA showing in the 1650 free.
On the women's side, newcomer Cierra Runge smashed five school records and combined with teammates Chase Kinney, Emmy Sehmann and Marissa Berg to topple the Big Ten record in the 400 freestyle relay with an All-America effort of 3:12.91 at the 2017 NCAA Championships. In all, nine Badgers women were named All-Americans in 2016-17.
The Badgers saw success on both the men's and women's side in Caskey's first season on staff in 2015-16. For the men, Hutchins became the first male in program history to be named Big Ten Swimmer of the Year after he set school records in the 500-, 1,000-, and 1,650-yard freestyle events. Collectively, both the men and women reset a total of seven school records during the season. The men's team finished 18th at the 2016 NCAA Championships, the men's best finish since 2013.
Caskey joined the Badgers as an assistant coach after serving the UW program in a limited role during the summer of 2014. From 2013-14, he worked as a swim coach for Lost Creek Aquatics Club and as a masters swim coach at Western Hills Athletic Club in Austin, Texas.
A two-time NCAA champion and eight-time All-American, Caskey swam at the University of Texas from 2008-12. As a team captain his senior season, Caskey helped guide the Longhorns to a runner-up team finish at the 2012 NCAA Championships, winning a national title in the 800 freestyle relay and earning four other All-America honors: sixth in the 100 butterfly; tied for seventh in the 200 butterfly; fourth in the 200 medley relay; and third in the 400 medley relay.
As a sophomore, Caskey was part of a national champion 800 freestyle relay team that helped the Longhorns win the team title at the 2010 NCAA Championships. An eight-time Big 12 champion at Texas, Caskey went out his senior season with conference crowns in the 200 butterfly, 800 freestyle relay and 200 medley relay.
Caskey ended his career at Texas as the school and Big 12 Conference record-holder in the 200-yard butterfly. He swam and learned under longtime Texas head coach Eddie Reese.
At the 2012 USA Olympic Trials, Caskey finished in 13th place in the semifinals of the 200 butterfly while also swimming the 200 freestyle (20th), 100 freestyle (37th) and the 100 butterfly (17th).
A member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll in 2012, Caskey has also been a leader in his community as a volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House and with Marathon Kids.
A Houston native, Caskey graduated from Texas with a B.S. degree in advertising in 2013. He is pursuing a master's in educational leadership and policy analysis.
