Bridget Hilferty enters her first season as the head coach of the Bloomsburg Men’s & Women's Swimming Teams in 2023 after spending the previous 10 seasons on staff as the assistant coach. In those 10 years, Hilferty oversaw the distance program, while handling academic strategies, providing counseling to student-athletes, coordinating community service initiatives and fundraising. She also assists the Athletic Department with Title IX Compliance initiatives.
Hilferty has been instrumental in guiding the distance program to prominence over her 10 seasons. Her women and men now hold five of the six team records between the 500, 100 and 1650 freestyle. She has had six women qualify for multiple NCAA Championships: Becca Cubbler (2017, 2019, 2020), Brooke Gilson (2014, 2017), Caroline Hodgins (2015), Karly Hursey (2017), Kaci McIlmoyle (2017) and Kaitlyn Floyd (2017). Cubbler, Hodgins and Gilson all gained All-American honors. Her men have consistently placed in the Top 8 at the PSAC Championships with several gaining NCAA provisional qualifying times. All of her swimmers have multiple times on the BU All-Time Top Ten list.
As a four-year performer for the Huskies, Hilferty was a dominate force in the distance freestyle events, earning NCAA All-American honors in the 1000 free and 1650 free in 2012. She was a perennial top eight finalist at the conference championships and was a key performer during dual meet competitions. Hilferty is ranked in BU’s all-time top ten in the 1650 free (fifth), 500 free (fifth), 200 free (sixth) and 1000 free (sixth). She was twice named the BU Swimmer of the Year (2011, 2012) and was a two-time team captain (2012, 2013).
As a high school swimmer at Perkiomen Valley, Hilferty qualified for the PIAA State Championships in her sophomore, junior and senior seasons. She was also a three-year YMCA National Championship qualifier for the Boyertown YMCA and she is a certified member of the American Swimming Coaches Association.
Hilferty lives in Bloomsburg and received her Masters degree in 2022.
