Amy Burgess enters her 15th season as head coach of the Little Rock swimming and diving team and 16th season overall with the program in 2022-23. Burgess arrived at Little Rock in 2007 and served as assistant coach for one season before being promoted to interim head coach in June 2008, and then to head coach two months later. On May 13, 2017, Burgess was inducted into the Arkansas Swimming Hall of Fame.
In 2022-23, Burgess invested in the diving program, adding an assistant coach to lead the diving team and bring a diver to the MVC Championships, the first in three years. The swim team also broke two more individual school records at the conference meet.
During the 2021-22 season, Burgess put together a squad that broke six school records, including three relay records, and collected seven All-Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) honors at the MVC Championships.
In the 2020-21 season, Burgess led the team through a modified January through April season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the many changes and setbacks, the Trojans placed six members of the team on the podium at the MVC Championships, twice as many as in 2020, as well as scoring over 100 more points than the year previous.
The 2019-20 season saw a major increase in team size, up to 30 members compared to the 22 in the year previous with a record 14 newcomers. Two school records were broken throughout the season, including the oldest record left standing on the board.
During the 2018-19 season, four more school records were broken as well as 15 members named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete team, the second-most from a single school within the eight-team conference.
In the 2017-18 season, the swimming and diving team finished sixth at the MVC Championships, less than two points away from fifth, with the help of six new team records.
During the 2016-17 season, Little Rock finished with its best-ever dual-meet record at 6-2, and the Trojans combined to break 20 school records for the season — 11 of which were broken at the MVC Championships. At the 2016 MVC Championships, Little Rock had its highest-ever finish as the team took fifth place while breaking eight school records.
At the 2015 MVC Championships, Little Rock broke five school records as the team finished sixth. The Trojans' broke six school records during the 2014 MVC Championships
Through her first four years as head coach, Burgess' swimmers had broken or tied a combined 48 school records at the season-ending Sun Belt Conference Championship meets. At the 2013 SBC Championships, Little Rock broke nine school records.
The Trojans broke 12 school records at the 2012 Sun Belt Championships, including eight individual records, to finish the season on a high note.
Competing at the season-ending Sun Belt Championships in February 2011, the Trojans broke 12 school records and tied another, including some that dated as far back as 1982. Since she took over as head coach in August of 2008, Burgess' swimmers have broken 13 of the 19 major Little Rock swimming records.
Burgess and the Trojans had similar success at the 2010 Sun Belt Championships, as seven new school records - three individual and four relay - were broken over the course of the four-day event. At the 2009 SBC Championships, the Trojans also broke seven school records in their biggest meet of the season.
Burgess' teams have also seen their share of success in the classroom. At the end of the 2016-17 academic year, the Trojans were recognized by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America with Academic All-American Team honors for the eighth consecutive semester. The team received the honor for achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.
A native Arkansan, Burgess was named the head swimming coach in August 2008 after serving as interim head coach in June of 2008 and assistant coach for the 2007-08 season.
Also during the 2007-08 season, Burgess gained valuable experience as an assistant with the Arkansas Dolphins swimming program that serves swimmers of all levels in Little Rock and the surrounding communities. In 2005, Burgess worked as an assistant swim coach and lesson instructor at Hendrix AquaKids in Conway, Ark. She trained, taught and supervised a premier swim team for kids ages six and up. She also coordinated private swim lessons, ran the Master's swim program for middle aged to senior adults, and educated children through group swim lessons and camps.
Prior to her coaching career, Burgess was one of the most accomplished swimmers in school history at the University of Kansas. In 2005, she set a school record in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:47.01 at the Big 12 Championships. As of 2010, she remains in the top five in school history in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, and the 100-yard butterfly. Burgess and three of her teammates set the school record in the 400-yard freestyle relay in 2004 with a time of 3:22.29.
Burgess received numerous accolades in her time at KU, including Newcomer of the Year for the 2001-02 season, Big 12 Swimmer of the Month in November of 2002 and 2004, and NCAA Swimmer of the Week in November of 2004. She also received the Tammy Thomas MVP Award in 2002, 2004 and 2005. Burgess was also recognized for her academic excellence, receiving the Jayhawk and Big 12 Scholar Athlete honor all four years of her career. Named to the Big 12 Commissioner's List and the University of Kansas and Kansas Athletics Director's Honor Roll all four years, she received the KU Senior Female Student-Athlete of the Year honor for the 2004-05 season.
Burgess also served as co-captain of the team from April 2003 to March 2004, motivating and inspiring her team through her attitude and performance. She also was in charge of organizing activities and managing recruiting weekends for prospective team members.
Burgess graduated from Kansas in May of 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism degree with an emphasis in Strategic Communications and a minor in Communication Studies. She later received her master's degree in Sports Management at UALR.
Prior to joining the Trojans, Burgess was a coach with the Arkansas Dolphins Swim Team.
She and her husband Mike have one daughter, Baylyn, and one son, Michael.
