Michigan has added Kyle Patnode to its coaching staff as an assistant coach for the upcoming 2026-2027 season. Patnode comes to the Wolverines after most recently spending time at Illinois.
“Joining the Wolverine family is an incredible honor, and I am deeply grateful to the leadership at the University of Michigan for this opportunity,” said Patnode. “Looking back at the journey that brought me here, I feel immensely blessed by the mentors, athletes, and colleagues who have supported my growth. There is a legendary tradition of excellence in Ann Arbor, and what excites me most is the road ahead. The opportunity to pour into these student-athletes, challenge the program to reach new heights, and continue to build a championship culture together. Go Blue.”
Patnode makes the move within the Big Ten as he has been a coach at Illinois for the last four seasons. During that time, the Illinois women swam to numerous school records. Prior to joining Illinois, Patnode spent one season in 2021-2022 with South Carolina as an assistant coach.
This will be the 4th Big Ten school that Patnode has spent some time at as he spent his collegiate career at Iowa, and was a volunteer assistant for Ohio State in 2020-2021. Michigan head coach Matt Bowe was an associate head coach for the Buckeyes at the time.
Patnode swam for the Iowa men from 2013-2017 and earned the Jim Marshall Award as a senior. That award is presented to the senior men’s swimmer who has made the most significant contributions to the program. He graduated from Iowa with a degree in health and human physiology (exercise science emphasis) with a minor in human relations.
Patnode joins the Michigan staff after Gunnar Schmidt was promoted to associate head coach last week, filling the position previously held by Bryon Tansel. The Michigan women finished 6th at the 2026 NCAA Championships while the men’s team was 8th at the 2026 NCAA Championships.
Celebratory wings at the Vine downtown on me! Congrats Patty.