Q&A WITH COACH NICHOLAS ASKEW

NICHOLAS ASKEW

A Bison as a student and now a coach of both tennis and swimming, Nicholas Askew is leading the athletes of historically black Howard University into a brave new world.

BY MICHAEL J. STOTT

Q. SWIMMING WORLD: Growing up, you were a multi-sport athlete. How did you get your start in swimming? A. COACH NICHOLAS ASKEW: Fortunately, I grew up a block away from a public pool in my hometown of Kinston, N.C. That pool was my daycare. As the youngest of three, I followed my lifeguard brothers to morning practice and stayed at the pool all day. Taking to the water became inevitable.

SW: In tennis? NA: Tennis was in the park very close to home. Daily when the pool closed, I wasn’t ready to go home because I knew my mother would make me clean up and go straight to bed. So, I lingered around the tennis courts where my father and his friends let me hit a few balls. But they quickly kicked me off the court because I would deliberately hit balls over the fence! However, that was all a part of my plan to play in the creek just behind the courts. When they got wise to that, they made me switch sides. That’s when I learned to control the ball more and enjoy actually playing.

SW: Any mentors along the way? NA: Many. I am forever grateful for the great people who poured into my total development, not just athletic. My parents and brothers are first and foremost. Then the list keeps going from there. I pray I have made them proud.

SW: Two brothers went to Howard. Any other reasons for choosing the school? NA: Howard was an easy choice for me. I knew I wanted to swim for a Division I swimming and diving program at a historically black college or university (HBCU). At that time, only Florida A&M University and Howard had one. I enjoyed my visit to FAMU, but Howard was where I knew I belonged.

SW: Your middle brother’s death from cancer convinced you to divert from a medical school track to coaching. Why? NA: I excelled in the sciences and was inspired by my optometrist growing up. At each appointment, I appreciated how I was treated and could see myself one day being the doctor that patients came to see. When my brother suddenly passed, my outlook changed. I saw how quickly his life was taken and how he suffered.

I was coaching and working with a grassroots program at the time and remember being so happy to help people live healthy lifestyles that could lengthen their lives. I then realized I wanted to work on the side of prevention and not treatment. Coaching was my vehicle to do so.

SW: Howard is now the only HBCU school to offer swim and dive. Is that a plus or minus when it comes to attracting talent? NA: It’s a minus that more HBCUs do not have programs and a plus that Howard has committed to supporting and maintaining one. There is a growing population that would love to attend an HBCU, and Howard should not be the only option. There is more talent than available roster spots. That means that athletes will go to teams that are not their first choice or quit the sport all together. Both are sad outcomes.

SW: Who does Howard recruit against in swimming? NA: Being the only HBCU, we provide a rare opportunity for our athletes. This has been a major plus for us because we have a certain group of swimmers who know that they want to be at an HBCU. It is also a significant challenge because for those who are open to any institution, we are now recruiting against everyone.

SW: How difficult is it for Howard to recruit in general? NA: Over the years, our staff has done an amazing job of creating and strengthening relationships with age group coaches and programs. In addition, with our focus on development, we have gained the interest and trust of those coaches and programs to assist their athletes in getting better. Howard’s history and long list of successful alumni—including Vice President Kamala Harris—has taken recruiting conversations to an entirely new level.

Coach Nicholas Askew

Director of Swimming and Diving Howard University Washington, D.C.

•Howard University, B.A., psychology, 2000

•4x Howard University MVP (3x swimming, 1x tennis)

•Former school record holder in 100-200 breaststroke, 2x swim team captain

•Director and head coach of swimming, diving and tennis, Howard University, 2020-present; head coach, swimming and diving, 2014-20; associate head coach, tennis, 2014-20; assistant coach, tennis, 2001-14

•Director of programs, Prince George’s

Tennis and Education Foundation, Upper

Marlboro, Md., 2002-09

•Directed Howard to more than 80 school records and CSCAA Scholar All-America recognition

•Coached Latroya Pina to Cape Verde

Olympic team and Miles Simon to U.S.

Olympic Trials berth, 2021

•Coastal Collegiate Sports Association

Conference Men’s Coach of the Year, 2020

Coach Nicholas Askew, a nationally recognized speaker on diversity and empowerment, received the Maritza Correia McClendon Award in 2020 from the Diversity in Aquatics organization.

SW: Maalik Nixon and Justin-BrownDuso are just two of the recent transfers into HU. With the transfer portal all the rage now, do you expect to see an uptick of that in swim and dive? NA: Maalik and Justin were two of the best. They may have arrived at HU by transfer, but I am convinced they were born Bison. As for the transfer portal, it will be interesting to see. Howard athletics doesn’t have a significant history of transfer