Staff Directory
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach
- Email:
- Phone:
- 716-645-6868
Aaron Mahaney was recently elevated to Associate Head Coach after three years as Assistant Coach for the UB Swimming and Diving Team. Mahaney came to the University at Buffalo after five years at Penn State coaching both the men and women teams.
During his tenure as assistant coach for the Bulls, Mahaney has worked hard to improve the reputation and excellence of the Bulls swim teams and more specifically, the long distance swimmers. In the 2013-2014 season, Mahaney helped lead the group to five individual MAC titles as well as six school records; all in distance swim. In the 2014-2015 season, he coached the women’s team to five individual MAC titles as well one school record in the 800 freestyle. In his 2015-2016 season, coach Mahaney focused his efforts again on the distance program which yielded him two MAC individual titles and a school record in the 800 free relay.
While at Penn State he was able to help the Nittany Lions advance to the NCAA Championships each year and saw the women's team finish among the top-40 three times and the men's squad grab top-30 finishes each of the past two seasons at the national meet. On an individual level, 21 of his pupils have garnered All-America honors on 54 occasions. Prior to joining the staff and Penn State, Mahaney served as the assistant coach at the University of Hawaii during the 2005-08 seasons. While at Hawaii, he coached distance freestyle, butterfly and individual medley events. Mahaney started his coaching career at Lafayette College in his hometown of Easton, PA.
Mahaney spent the summer of 2014 and 2015 as a coach at the United States Swimming National Open Water Camp held in California and Florida. At both of these camps, he was the Assistant Coach for the top twenty-four distance swimmers in the country. This opportunity allowed him to introduce these talented individuals to the sport of open water swimming.
A graduate of Michigan State, Mahaney was a four-year letter winner for the Spartans. While at East Lansing, Mahaney earned the MSU Swimming and Diving Freshman of the Year in 1999 and was the team's Most Valuable Performer in 2002. He has competed at the 2000 and 2004 US Swimming Olympic Trials. At the 2004 US Olympic Trials, Mahaney placed 18th in the 200 butterfly while swimming for Atlantis Aquatic Club.
Aaron enjoys spending his free time working on his home in Snyder, NY or searching out his next adventure. He has snorkeled in the Caribbean, hiked lava fields and went skydiving in Hawaii.
