Jamaican Olympian Keanan Dols Joins Villanova Coaching Staff
Keanan Dols, a Jamaican Olympian at the Tokyo Games in 2021, has joined the staff at Villanova, the school announced Tuesday.
Dols swam at the University of Pennsylvania in 2021 when he was an Olympian. He transferred to the University of Kentucky to finish his career. He swam the 200 butterfly and 200 individual medley in Tokyo.
“We are thrilled to have Keanan as a member of the Villanova Swimming and Diving Family,” Villanova head coach Rick Simpson said in a university statement. “Keanan not only possesses a great athletic resume competing at the highest international level, but also a keen understanding and appreciation of the Villanova Swim and Dive Family Philosophy: that our athletes are people first and athletes second. I look forward to having Keanan as a great young mentor to our athletes both in and out of the pool.”
Dols holds eight senior national records for Jamaica. He was with the national team from 2015-23.
A native of Sarasota, Fla., Dols took a fifth year at Kentucky and swam both the 200 fly and 200 IM at the SEC Championships in 2023. He also got a head start as a volunteer coach for the Wildcats after the conference championships.
Dols, who graduated from Penn in 2022, swam for Villanova associate head coach Laura McGlaughlin while she was an assistant for the Quakers from 2018-20.
“I am very much looking forward to coaching alongside Keanan,” McGlaughlin said. “After having the chance to work with him as a student-athlete, I know that his approach to the sport and attentiveness to detail will be a great asset to our program. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with him again, and know that his competitive experience paired with his time as a student-athlete at the University of Pennsylvania and University of Kentucky will add amazing perspective to our team.”