Hood College

Ashley Gardner joined the coaching staff at Hood College in April 2016 as the assistant swim coach and aquatics director. Gardner has also spent multiple stints as the men's and women's interim head coach.

The 2026 campaign saw Gardner in her second stint as interim head coach for both programs hosting four meets and capturing new times entering the program's Top 10. At the MAC Swimming & Diving Championship Sophia Routzahn had one of the greatest championship performances in school history by earning silver medals three straight days in the events of 200-yard individual medley, 100-yard butterfly and the 100-yard breaststroke with all swims broke program records.

She spent the 2019-20 season as the interim head coach. Gardner led the Blazers to a four-win improvement on the women's side in dual meets and the men added a win to their previous total. Her women's team went 5-7 overall, while the men were 4-7. Both teams finished 3-5 against Middle Atlantic Conference opponents. 

She comes to the Blazers from the Waynesboro Area YMCA, where she had served as the head coach and aquatics director since 2013. During her time in Waynesboro, the team had its first Y National qualifier in eight years. More than 130 team records set and/or broken for a total of over 170 times in her three years at the Y. Gardner also served on the Middle Atlantic Zone Team coaching staff for three seasons and was the head Middle Atlantic Zone coach for the Winter 2016 Championship meet in Webster, N.Y.

A native of Dover, Delaware, Ashley she swam for the Dover YMCA and was a YMCA National qualifier and Middle Atlantic Zone team member. She swam and graduated from Lock Haven University in 2011 with a BA in History. After graduating she returned to coach the Dover Y and played a role in sending the largest team in Dover Y history to YMCA Nationals.