Michigan State Hires Nate Destree as New Assistant Coach

The Michigan State men’s and women’s swimming & diving programs have hired Nate Destree as their new assistant coach. He will replace Amelia Marsh on the Spartans’ staff who leaves after two seasons with the program.

Destree joins the program from Virginia Tech, where he was for one season that saw the Hokies finished 19th at the men’s NCAA Championships and 25th at the women’s NCAA Championships. Prior to that, he worked as a volunteer assistant at West Virginia, from where he earned his master’s degree in athletic coaching.

He joins a Michigan State program that finished last at both the men’s and women’s Big Ten Championship meets last year, but ended the season on a high note with 4 school records from each the women’s team and the men’s team (including 3 relays apiece). The team has some young pieces, including junior-to-be Mitch Stahlman placing 13th at the Big Ten Championships in the 200 fly (1:47.73); and junior-to-be Racheal Bukowski, who last year became the first Spartan ever to swim under 23 seconds in a flat-start 50 free (22.85).

Below is a full press release courtesy Michigan State Athletics

EAST LANSING, Michigan – Michigan State University swimming & diving and head coach Matt Gianiodis announced the hiring of Nate Destree as the program’s newest assistant coach. Destree comes to East Lansing after a successful swimming career at St. Bonaventure and coaching stops at West Virginia University and Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

“I am thrilled to have Nate here,” said Gianiodis. “I have known him a long time, and he trained out here for awhile. He was successful when he was here, so coming through the door he knows our system well. I am excited to get him on the staff. He is an incredibly hard worker, and no job is beneath him. Nate does whatever it takes, and I am happy we got him. It was a great process with a lot of qualified candidates.”

“I look forward to being able to be a part of MSU’s program,” said Destree. “The Big Ten is one of the most elite swimming conferences in the country. I spent time here in 2012 to train for an Olympic trial cut, so I am familiar with the program and the area. That experience propelled my senior year and led into my coaching career. To be able to come to MSU and get back to the program that pushed me to the next level is something special.”

Destree spent the last swimming & diving season as an assistant coach under Ned Skinner at Virginia Tech. He coached and assisted with all training groups throughout the week, along with being responsible for the organization of all recruiting weekends and administrative tasks. Under Destree’s tenure, the Hokie men finished 19th at NCAA Championships and fourth at the ACC Championships, while posting a dual meet record of 10-0. The women’s team finished 25th at NCAA Championships and fifth at the ACC Championships. The Hokies had four All-Americans with Destree on staff, as 11 program records fell.

While a Mountaineer at West Virginia, Destree assisted the coaching staff as a graduate assistant coach. He conducted daily practice and day-to-day administrative tasks, along with working primarily with the power and sprint group, in addition to the middle-distance group. He was highly active in WVU’s recruiting efforts, responsible for organizing all recruiting weekends and maintenance of recruiting databases. The Mountaineers had 55 NCAA “B” cuts recorded in his two years and 10 school records broken.

“He has full faith in what we do and our system,” Gianiodis said. “He lived it for awhile and is definitely a Spartan. As an undergraduate, he was a conference champion, and this was his goal to get to this position. He went about it the right way with his experience at West Virginia and Virginia Tech. He has flexibility in what he can coach, and he is a great recruiter.”

During his time as a graduate assistant, Destree spent summers working at the Longhorn Swim Camp at the University of Texas. He worked under the supervision of UT’s staff and several guest Olympians in teaching children ages 8-18 the fundamentals of fast swimming and conducting beneficial workouts.

“The way MSU’s program is structured, there is a fluid dynamic which allows me to rely on my background and help in a number of different areas,” said Destree. “Having spent time as a student-athlete here training, I feel that I can help our student-athletes have the best experience possible at Michigan State. There are a lot of great pieces in place here.”

As a collegian, Destree was a 2013 Atlantic 10 Conference All-Academic selection, as St. Bonaventure claimed the 2013 A10 title. He was a seven-time conference finalist in the 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly, along with being a member of the 2013 league champion 200 free and 200 medley relay teams.

Destree graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Sports Studies with a concentration in Movement Science in 2013 from St. Bonaventure. He completed his Master’s of Science in Athletic Coaching Education at West Virginia in 2015.