Sun Devil Alums Daniel Matheson and Jack Little Named Assistants for Swim and Dive
Daniel Matheson swam for Arizona State from 2022-2025 and Jack Little swam for ASU in 2018-2022
Daniel Matheson (left), Jack Little (Right)
TEMPE – Sun Devil Swimming Head Coach Herbie Behm announced the hiring of Sun Devil alumni Daniel Matheson and Jack Little, both returning to the program as coaching assistants, announced Monday.
A Big 12 champion and six-time All-American for the Sun Devils from 2022-25, Matheson is one of the top distance swimmers in program history and helped Arizona State win its first national title in 2024. As a senior, Matheson helped the Sun Devils win their first Big 12 Championship with victories in the 1650 free (14:46.53) and the 500 free (4:14.37), earning two individual titles in Federal Way last February. Additionally, the Arizona native helped the Sun Devils win two Pac-12 titles with six podium finishes in 2023 and 2024.
Scottsdale's own! 🌵
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) February 27, 2025
Daniel Matheson is your Big 12 Champion in the 500 free!
Jacob Pins places in third for the bronze! 🥉
📺 https://t.co/6IQ2vokmN1#ForksUp /// #O2V pic.twitter.com/6VWHz2eCc1
On the international stage, Matheson competed at the World Aquatic Swimming Championships in Hungary last December and was a finalist in the 1500m, 800m and 400m free at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials last June. Last month, Matheson graduated from Arizona State, securing a Bachelor of Arts degree in business with an emphasis in sports business.
Returning to the valley, Little was a distance swimmer for the Sun Devils from 2018-22 and competed at two Pac-12 Championships, representing the Maroon and Gold. As a redshirt junior in 2022, he placed sixth in the 1650 free and helped ASU to a third-place finish in the Pac-12, which was then the best finish for the men’s team since 1995 before ASU won three-straight conference championships.
After earning a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology in 2022 from Arizona State, Little then competed at Tennessee in 2023 as a senior, where he accomplished lifetime bests in the 500 free (4:18.91), the 1000 free (9:01.14) and 1650 free (14.54.25) during the 2023 SEC Championships.
The Arkansas native went on to graduate with a master’s degree in exercise physiology from Tennessee in 2024. While studying for his master's degree, he joined the coaching staff at Tennessee Aquatics in 2023, focusing on designing conditioning and swimming programs for athletes. Little was also a representative for two years for USA Swimming.
Last season, Sun Devil Swim and Dive featured the men’s and women’s teams claiming Big 12 Championships, the fourth for the university in the 2024-25 athletic year alongside volleyball and football. Additionally, the women’s team secured its first conference championship in program history and had its best finish at the NCAA Championships since 2012, placing 19th. The men’s team placed sixth at NCAAs for their fourth-straight top-10 finish nationally.