Wolfpack Announce Josh Stanfield as New Assistant Coach
7/12/2025 2:00:00 PM | Swimming
RALEIGH, NC - NC State Head Swimming Coach Braden Holloway announced this week, that Josh Stanfield will be stepping into a new role as an assistant coach on the Wolfpack staff.Â
Â"We're proud to welcome Josh Stanfield— a coach who brings vision, passion, and a relentless drive to help us rise to the next level." Said Head Coach Braden Holloway. "With a proven track record of excellence, a passion for developing athletes in and out of the pool, and a vision that aligns with our core values, Josh brings the energy, experience, and integrity needed to help us move into our next chapter. We are excited to welcome Josh, his wife Kristin, and their son Hayden to Wolfpack Nation."Â
ÂBefore joining the Wolfpack Stanfield served for three seasons as assistant coach for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He arrived in Raleigh after his time as assistant coach at Notre Dame, where he helped guide the Fighting Irish men's team to a historic second-place finish at the 2024 ACC Championships, the highest in program history.
Â"I'm truly thankful to Braden for this incredible opportunity and for the warm welcome my family and I have received from Wolfpack Nation." Said Stanfield, "NC State stands among the elite programs in the country, consistently competing at the highest levels both nationally and internationally. I'm eager to begin this journey with the student-athletes and coaches alike, to help take the program to even greater heights, and to bring unwavering passion and energy to everything we do. Go Pack!"
Before his time in South Bend, Stanfield spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Duke University. Under his leadership, the Blue Devils saw significant program growth and record-breaking performances. In his final season in Durham, the Duke women matched their best finish at the ACC Championships (5th) and went on to place 24th at the NCAA Championships. Stanfield coached standout swimmer Sarah Foley to All-ACC and All-American honors in 2021–22 and helped the men's team set new program records in both the 200 freestyle relay (1:17.86) and the 400 freestyle relay (2:52.71).
During the pandemic-shortened 2019–20 season, 10 Duke swimmers qualified for the NCAA Championships. That year, Alyssa Marsh broke three school records, and both the men's and women's teams achieved the highest national rankings in program history, ninth for the women and 15th for the men. In his first year at Duke, Stanfield helped the Blue Devils break 18 school records, including nine out of ten relay events. Both teams earned strong NCAA finishes: the women placed 23rd (their best since 2011), while the men finished 29th (their best since 2014). He coached a total of nine CSCAA All-Americans during his tenure in Durham.
Prior to Duke, Stanfield spent six years at Gardner-Webb University, beginning as an assistant coach before being promoted to associate head coach in his final season. In 2017–18, his team won three Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) titles and posted five NCAA 'B' cuts. The season prior, his squad set 10 program records and claimed four individual CCSA titles.
Stanfield's coaching journey began at his alma mater, Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, where he served as a volunteer assistant. He also worked with Nitro Swimming in Texas, where he coached several age group swimmers to individual state championships.
A native of Huntsville, Texas, Stanfield graduated from Southwestern University in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology.