Matt Bowe Adds Byron Tansel, Aaron Bell to Staff at Michigan

Photo Courtesy: NCAA Media

Matt Bowe Adds Byron Tansel, Aaron Bell to Staff at Michigan

New Michigan head coach Matt Bowe announced his coaching staff on Thursday, adding associate head coaches Byron Tansel and Aaron Bell among five hires.

That trio is joined by associate coach and Michigan alum Gunnar Schmidt and director of operations and player development Kyle Dunaway, as well as the retention of assistant coach Priscilla Barletta from the retired Mike Bottom’s staff. Bowe was hired to replace Bottom in June.

“I’m incredibly excited to announce our new staff,” Bowe in a university release. “I was fortunate enough to put together one of the best staffs in the country and our student-athletes are going to benefit tremendously from their experience and passion. Their coaching ability has been showcased in their successful careers so far, but the most important skill that set them apart was their relationship-driven approach to coaching. They care for the person behind the athlete and that approach is going to help our student-athletes thrive in the classroom, pool and in life!”

Big Ten Swimming News

Tansel spent 2022-23 at Louisville, helping the Cardinals finish third in both the men’s and women’s competition at the ACC Championships. He spent five seasons at Ohio State, helping the Buckeyes women’s team to three straight Big Ten titles. A native of Dundee, Michigan, and a graduate of Oakland University, he coached for a year at LSU and three as an assistant at Eastern Michigan after a volunteer assistant stint at the University of Richmond. He also has experience in the club realm with Dallas Mustangs Swim Team, Dallas Aquatic Masters, and Poseidon Swimming Inc.

Bell spent last year with Tansel at Louisville, helping the Cardinals’ women’s team accrue the most NCAA points in program history. Bell spent five seasons as an associate head coach at Notre Dame, overseeing 34 All-Americans and the 2021 ACC Championships Swimmer of the Meet (Jack Hoagland). The Division II All-American at Clarion University also coached at Virginia Tech from 2011-16, the University of Buffalo (2007-11), Ohio University (as a graduate assistant and volunteer assistant) and the University of Miami (Ohio).

Schmidt graduated from Michigan in 2009 after a career as a distance swimmer. He has served as the head coach of Club Wolverine since 2016, helping five swimmers qualify for 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials. The 2018 NCSA Coach of the Year and 2020 Michigan Coach of the Year, Schmidt starting coaching with Big Blue Swim School in Chicago before moving back to Ann Arbor.

Dunaway was the director of operations for Ohio State from 2017-21. The graduate of Wittenberg University was the head coach at Transylvania University from 2010-14 and served as an assistant at DePauw University and Wabash College.

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use