Niko Fantakis – Assistant Coach – Women’s Swimming and Diving Coaches

Niko Fantakis was named an assistant coach for the Harvard Women’s Swimming and Diving program in July 2026. The 2026-27 marketing campaign will mark his first with the Crimson.

 

Fantakis arrived in Cambridge from Brown, the place he served as a girls’s assistant coach and recruiting coordinator (2019-23) earlier than being elevated to affiliate head coach (2023-26). During his time in Providence, Rhode Island, Fantakis made a direct impression in his first season because the Bears posted its finest Ivy League Championship end in 14 years. Three seasons later, in 2022, Fantakis developed Brown’s first NCAA Championship qualifier since 2005.

 

In his remaining three years, in the meantime, Fantakis helped Brown make a splash at each the nationwide and worldwide degree. The Bears boasted a bronze medalist on the 2024 European Championship, two athletes on the 2024 US Olympic Trials (first since 2004), and two extra on the 2024 Olympic Games. This previous season, Brown had two swimmers qualify for NCAAs after it earned 4 victories on the Ivy League Championships. One of the Bears’ convention champions, their 800 free relay, posted the 16^th-best time within the nation, which was the very best rating by any Ivy relay since 2020.

 

Before his profitable stint at Brown, Fantakis served as an assistant coach for Duke Women’s Swimming and Diving. During a two-year stint in Durham, North Carolina, the Blue Devils secured the No. 10 recruiting class in 2018 and noticed a program-record seven athletes qualify for the 2018 NCAA Championships. Fantakis additionally mentored student-athletes to 129 NCAA B-cuts, 40 college data and two All-America swimming performances. He additionally was a volunteer assistant coach within the Summer of 2015 and the top masters swim coach for Duke’s Physical Education and Recreation: Aquatics (2016-17).

 

In between his volunteer and full-time stint at Duke, Fantakis was a pupil assistant coach at Connecticut College for the 2015-16 marketing campaign. During his time in New London, Fantakis navigated the calls for of a full-time co-ed teaching position and a full-time educational course load. In the pool, the Camel males completed within the top-3 on the NESCAC Championship, which was their finest effort in class historical past, each applications completed within the high 20 at nationals, and all 9 of their NCAA qualifiers earned All-America honors. The expertise at CC was fruitful because the staff was the recipient of the NESCAC Coaching Staff of the Year Award and Fantakis was named the winner of The Andrew Chait ’82 Service Award, which is given yearly to a person who has proven excellent service and dedication to CC athletics.

 

Fantakis is a graduate of Connecticut College and double-majored in economics and sociology.