Competitor Coach of the Month: Jim Nickell

Competitor Coach of the Month is a recurring SwimSwam feature shedding light on a U.S.-based coach who has risen above the competition. As with any item of recognition, Competitor Coach of the Month is a subjective exercise meant to highlight one coach whose work holds noteworthy context – perhaps a coach who was clearly in the limelight, or one whose work fell through the cracks a bit more among other stories. If your favorite coach wasn’t selected, feel free to respectfully recognize them in our comment section.

After less than a year leading Bend Swim Club, Jim Nickell has made a firm impression on the squad, highlighted by the performance of Campbell McKean at the 2025 U.S. National Championships.

Nickell, who was named the head coach and executive director at Bend last August, led McKean to a breakout performance last month in Indianapolis, qualifying for the World Championships and becoming the fastest 18 & under 100 breaststroker in history.

The 18-year-old McKean opened the meet by winning the men’s 50 breaststroke in a time of 26.90, lowering his personal best coming into the meet by a full half-second (27.40). He had set a PB of 27.14 in the prelims.

McKean’s headlining swim came the following day in the 100 breast, first dropping just over two tenths in the prelims, improving from 1:00.40 to 1:00.18, and then firing off a stunning time of 58.96 to win the final.

That performance gave the Texas commit his second national title of the meet, a second event for his World Championship schedule, and shattered Michael Andrew‘s 17-18 National Age Group Record of 59.82 from 2016.

Additionally, it made McKean the first 18 & under swimmer to break the 59-second barrier, dipping under Nicolo Martinenghi‘s World Junior Record of 59.01 set in 2017. McKean is not eligible to break the World Junior Record since he’ll turn 19 later this year.

“Campbell’s dedication to improve each day was displayed during his races,” Nickell said, according to The Bend Bulletin. “It is truly an honor to watch him grow and improve each time he enters the pool.”

Following Nationals, Nickell was announced as a member of the U.S. coaching staff in Singapore.

Prior to heading to the World Championships, McKean and his Bend teammates were back in action June 20-22 at the Sun Country Invite. McKean set a new personal best time in the 400 free (4:19.68) at altitude, while another impressive performer was Bend’s Maddie Thornton, a Georgia commit who won nine of the 10 events she entered, including hitting a PB int he girls’ 100 fly (1:04.74) and adding a season-best in the 50 back (30.61).

Prior to joining Bend last year, Nickell served as a senior coach and meet director at Tennessee Aquatics for two years. Prior to his time in Knoxville, he had stints as the head coach of Mesa Aquatics in Mesa, Arizona and Loveland Swim Club in Loveland, Colorado. He has also been named Coach of the Year for Arizona Swimming, New Mexico Swimming, and Colorado Swimming.

About Competitor Swim

Since 1960, Competitor Swim® has been the leader in the production of racing lanes and other swim products for competitions around the world. Competitor lane lines have been used in countless NCAA Championships, as well as 10 of the past 13 Olympic Games. Molded and assembled using U.S. – made components, Competitor lane lines are durable, easy to set up and are sold through distributors and dealers worldwide.

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