After serving most of the 2025-26 season as a part-time assistant coach, Emily Swanson has been elevated to full-time assistant coach, Head Men's & Women's Cross Country/Track & Field Coach Scott Tanis has announced. She becomes the first female full-time assistant in program history.

Swanson is a graduate of Sioux Falls, where she was a decorated member of the Cougars from 2020-2025. The First Team All-America Heptathlon athlete in both the indoor and outdoor seasons was named NSIC Most Outstanding Senior of the Year in 2024-25. The four-time Academic All-America honoree qualified for the NCAA championships four total times (two indoor, two outdoor). She also served as a four-year Team Leader. 

Prior to Augustana, Swanson spent two years as a GreatLife PlayEverything Coach/Member Support/Social Media employee. She facilitated youth sport camps, served underprivileged youth, developed relationships, and helped create content inside the organization.

Swanson earned a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degree in exercise science and business administration from Sioux Falls.