The Delaware Swim Team in Wilmington, Delaware have announced the hiring of Olympic gold medalist Nelson Diebel as the program’s new head coach.
Since he finished his competitive swimming career, Diebel’s primary vocations have been on the national clinic tour, leading swimming clinics across the country for almost 20 years, and with swimwear brands, as a team relationship manager for Nike Swim and later director of sports marketing for Arena.
Diebel coached at the Delaware Swim Team previously before working for Arena.
Bringing Diebel in to the program will shift the structure of the organization. Previously, the team employed head coaches of different portions of their program all under the guidance of program director Pablo Marmolejo (who is also currently the head coach of the University of Delaware).
“We have never had the opportunity to have someone whom we believed had the ability to ‘turn children into champions one stroke at a time,'” said the club’s owner and founder Mike Ramone. “This is our mission. Often we try to find a balance between coaches to achieve this vision. But with Nelson we get the entire package. He will be a great head coach of children and a great coach of coaches. Nelson gets it! We are lucky to be in the right place with our program as it lines up with the right time in Nelson’s life!”
The 49-year old Diebel won a pair of Olympic gold medals at the 1992 Games in Barcelona, placing 1st in the 100 breaststroke and as part of the American 400 medley relay. He swam collegiately at Princeton.
Among the club’s best-known alumni are former National High School Record holder Kaitlyn Jones and 2012 US Olympian Andrew Gemmell. Gemmell swam at the club under his father, Bruce Gemmell, who went on to coach Olympic gold medalist and World Record holder Katie Ledecky.
Seems unfortunate that Mr. Ramone felt the need to disparage his former coaches. Especially considering that, according to Mr Ramone himself, those coaches moved on because of family and life issues related to the current pandemic (as per a letter sent to swim team families)
I had the opportunity to swim with Nelson in college for a few years and always liked him. Anyone who knows Diebel knows he’s a great guy, very energetic, and I think he’ll do great work. He’s been in Delaware for the longest time so it’s an easy fit for him.
So this Olympian was just waiting around to coach the Delaware Swim Team? Seems strange?
It feels like you’re somehow trying to stir the pot…but I can’t really follow what the angle is.
Great move. Nelson is an excellent guy.