Hallie Roman Named Head Diving Coach

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — University of New Mexico Swimming and Diving Coach Naya Higashijima has announced that Hallie Roman, previously with the University of Nebraska, will be the new head diving coach at UNM.  She takes over for Logan Andrews, who was named Assistant Diving Coach at the University of Utah.

“I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and so excited to get started in Albuquerque. I know UNM will continue to build a great team and I am thankful for UNM’s trust in me to lead this amazing group of divers,” said Roman.

Roman added, “I am looking forward to the upcoming season and seeing what we will accomplish. I also just want to say thank you to my family, friends, mentors, and everyone else that supported me in this journey. A special shoutout to my club coaches, Tricia Grant, Carla Szpunar, and Larry Albright, and my coaches at Nebraska, Landon Marzullo and Natasha Chikina, for inspiring me to become a coach and always encouraging me to follow my dreams. Go Lobos!!”

Roman spent the past two seasons as a graduate assistant with the Huskers program, working with both the Nebraska diving squad and the Nebraska Diving Club.  Along with coaching the Husker divers, Roman handled recruiting, running home meets and creating training plans.

She also was able to work on the next generation of divers with the Nebraska Diving Club, working with all levels from beginners to collegiate and national-level divers.

“Hallie is well respected among experienced diving coaches with her ability to develop and inspire the next generation of great divers. She is energetic, knowledgeable, and caring. She will bring an infectious enthusiasm to our program,” said Higashijima. “Hallie is a versatile coach who will bring out the best in our student-athletes in and out of the pool. She is ready to continue our progress at UNM.”

Roman dove collegiately at Nebraska from 2018-2022, where she was a four-time winning of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team Award.  She was named Academic All-Big Ten in 2020, 2021 and 2022, and she was a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar in 2021. She served as a member of SAAC at Nebraska from 2019-22, serving as secretary from 2020-22.

She was a two-time Big Ten Finalist, doing so on the platform in 2020 and on the 1-meter in 2022, and she qualified for NCAA Zones in 2020 and 2022 in those events.  Post-collegiate career Roman competes in Masters Competitions where she is a seven-time National Champion.

Prior to attending Nebraska, Roman trained with Legacy Diving in Auburn Hills, Michigan and was a three-time Michigan state qualifier. She also qualified for state in pole vault and gymnastics.  She was the Valedictorian of her graduating class at Port Huron Northern High School.

Hallie has a degree from Nebraska, and she is finishing up two others from there. She earned her bachelor’s in psychology in 2022 with a minor in mathematics and hospitality, restaurant, and tourism management. In December of 2025, she will have completed her master’s in business administration and an M.S. in business analytics from the Lincoln campus.

Well-rounded, Roman also spent some time in the Nebraska ticket office and she put her degree to good use with a stint as an event manager with Marriott before pursuing a full-time coaching career.

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What They Are Saying About Hallie Roman…

Tricia Grant, Head Diving Coach at Illinois: “Ten years ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to coach Hal on her journey into college athletics. It has been a tremendous experience to watch her grow as an athlete and into an incredible young leader. I am extremely proud of her and thrilled to see where she and Naya will take this program.”

Landon Marzullo, Head Diving Coach at Nebraska: “I couldn’t be happier for Hallie. Over the past 3 years she has dedicated her time to becoming the best coach she can. With the experience she has gained I have no doubt Hallie will elevate the New Mexico dive team to a whole new level!”

 Natasha Chikina, Head Diving Coach at Rutgers: “Hallie had a successful diving career at the University of Nebraska and has proven herself to be an outstanding coach.  She will bring her experience, hard work and dedication to the sport and to the Swimming and Diving program.”