FORT MYERS, Fla. – Dave Rollins, who most recently served as the associate head men’s swimming coach at The Ohio State University, has been named the new head coach of FGCU swimming & diving, Director of Athletics Ken Kavanagh announced Wednesday afternoon.
Rollins replaces former head coach Neal Studd, who accepted the same position at FSU in July, and brings 10 years of coaching experience at the club, high school and collegiate levels with him as he becomes the second head coach in program history. A standout collegiate athlete in his own right, Rollins was a nine-time NCAA All-American and national champion as a member of the University of Arizona swimming & diving team from 2002-06.
“I’m extremely honored and blessed to be welcomed into the FGCU family,” Rollins said. “The atmosphere and support that Ken Kavanagh, Kathy Peterson and the entire FGCU athletics department provides the program and its student-athletes is first class. This is a very exciting opportunity for my family, and I cannot thank coach Bill Wadley as well as Ohio State administrators Gene Smith and TJ Shelton enough for their support and guidance. I’m looking forward to getting to campus, building on the incredible success the program has already achieved and working toward leading us to the next level. Go Eagles!”
Rollins inherits a FGCU program that has won seven of the last eight CCSA Championships and advanced swimmers to the NCAA Championships in each of the last five seasons – finishing in a program and Mid-Major best 26th place in 2015. A season ago, the Eagles tied a program record with 12 dual-meet wins and earned victories against four ranked programs en route to achieving its highest ranking in program history at No. 19.
“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Dave, Caroline and the rest of the Rollins family to FGCU, Southwest Florida and our Eagles athletics family,” Kavanagh added. “A quality individual, Dave is a proven winner and brings a tremendous wealth of experience and coaching success to FGCU. In turn, we look forward to his providing energized leadership to our wonderful group of student-athletes, quickly getting engaged with our growing fan base and maintaining the tremendous tradition of overall excellence, in and out of the pool, that has been established by FGCU swimming & diving since its inception less than a decade ago.”
In four seasons with the Buckeyes, Rollins worked in multiple capacities including serving as the recruiting coordinator and director of operations to go along with his coaching duties. Promoted from assistant coach to associate head coach of the men’s team in April 2016, he helped lead Ohio State to four consecutive top-three finishes at the Big Ten Championships, including a runner-up finish in 2015, as well as four straight top-18 finishes at the NCAA Championships.
During his tenure at Ohio State when the men’s team posted a 40-5 (.889) dual-meet record, Rollins worked primarily with the mid-distance and stroke swimmers while also collaborating with the women’s coaches and student-athletes during the season. On the men’s side, Rollins helped mentor multiple student-athletes to a total of 74 Academic All-Big Ten selections, 37 All-American honors, 14 individual and relay school records – all but five events – and six individual Big Ten championships.
Prior to Ohio State, he was the head coach of the Cincinnati Marlins while also serving as an assistant coach for St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, from 2010-12. With the Marlins, Rollins oversaw all aspects of running a satellite program including scheduling practices, conducting workouts and mentoring assistant coaches. His contributions resulted in dramatic results as the Marlins captured three Ohio Age Group Championships. Rollins also worked with Olympic Trials qualifiers, National and Junior National qualifiers, and national and state record holders. Additionally, his efforts with St. Xavier were equally impressive as he was a part of two Southwest District Titles and Ohio Division I State Championships while coaching 11 All-Americans.
Rollins’ coaching career began during the 2006-07 season – while still fulfilling his curriculum requirements at Arizona – when he served as an assistant coach for Tucson Ford Dealers Aquatics under his former coach and American Swim Coaches Association (ASCA) Hall of Famer Frank Busch. During his first season in the profession, Rollins worked with all levels of swimmers, ranging from novice swimmers to state champions, sectional champions, Junior and Senior National qualifiers and Olympic Trials qualifiers.
After moving to Flagstaff, Ariz., in 2007, Rollins served as an assistant coach at Northern Arizona University for three seasons while also taking over head coaching duties for the Flagstaff Peaks Aquatics Club. In both capacities, he played a major role in impacting the quality and growth of the programs, highlighted by 12 school records at NAU and moving Peaks into the USA Bronze Medal Club category.
A 2007 graduate of Arizona with a degree in interdisciplinary studies, Rollins made a name for himself as a member of the Wildcats swimming & diving program. Along with his aforementioned NCAA All-American and national champion honors, Rollins is a two-time Olympic Trials qualifier (2004, ’08) and a USA Swimming National Championship finalist. While at Arizona, he set four school records and became the fastest American breaststroker in history – a record that stood for six years. He captained the Wildcats his senior year and still holds a pair of all-time top-10 performances in the 100 breaststroke (52.68) and 200 IM (1:44.42).
A native of Brocton, Mass., he and his wife, Caroline Keefe Rollins, make their way to Fort Myers with their two children, Alice (3) and Elliot (8 months).
What They’re Saying About Dave
“Dave is one of the good guys in our profession. He is passionate about the sport and committed to a first rate student-athlete experience. Dave will bring a great level of energy to the pool deck, and his experience both as an athlete and coach will translate into success for FGCU.”
– Bill Dorenkott, Ohio State Head Women’s Swimming Coach
FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-date coverage of FGCU women’s swimming and diving, follow us on Twitter @FGCU_WSWIM and visit www.FGCUAthletics.com where full recaps and results will be available.
SUPPORT THE CAUSE
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics’ charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
Florida Gulf Coast University contributed this report.