Courtesy: FGCU Athletics
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast University swimming and diving and head coach Dave Rollins have announced the hiring of three new coaches to the 2024-25 staff. John Lynch will come on as the Diving Coach, Antonio Nunez Alvarez will be the new Assistant Swimming Coach and Sara Niepelova will be the Graduate Assistant.
“We are thrilled to be able to expand our staff with not only first-rate coaches, but also first rate people,” head coach Dave Rollins said. “John is one of the top coaches in the country regarding developing talent and to have him as well as his wife Kara, and their three children, Raygan, Ryley, and Theadore, joining the nest. Antonio comes to FGCU having learned from some of the best coaches in the world and has experience coaching Olympians, NCAA Qualifiers and ACC Champions. His energy, knowledge, and personality are going to help us continue to grow the Green and Blue both nationally and internationally. Sara joining the dry side of our team will allow us to provide a great experience for the team as well as ensure continuity as we welcome in new team members and staff to The Fort. It is an exciting time to be and Eagle and I cannot wait to get the season going!”
Lynch comes to FGCU with his most recent collegiate stop being seven years as the Delaware diving coach. Prior to Delaware, Lynch spent two years at Boise State. During his tenure as a collegiate diving coach, Lynch has coached six zone qualifiers and 24 All-Conference performers. Lynch is a decorated diver himself having advanced to the A-Final on every board in every year he competed at Wyoming, with top five finishes in 10 of 12 events he competed in. He qualified for zones every year, qualifying for the finals each year.
Nunez Alvarez joins the Eagles from Virginia Tech. In 2023, the Hokies finished top 20 on both the men’s and women’s sides at the NCAA Championship. Nunez Alvarez coached several 2024 Olympians including Maxine Egner (Botswana), Emily Santos (Panama), Ian Ho (Hong Kong), and Carmen Weiler Sastre, Carles Coll Marti, Luis Dominguez Calogne, and Mario Molla Yanes who all come from Nunez Alvarez’s country of Spain.
Niepelova joins the coaching staff after completing her athletic career at FGCU. Niepelova placed fifth in the mile at the 2021 and 2022 CCSA Swimming and Diving championships and earned a fourth place finish in the 400 IM at the 2021 conference championships.
