Courtesy: Corsair Athletics
DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Director of Athletics and Recreation Lori Hendricks announced the hiring of Mike Kroll as the next Head Coach of the Swimming & Diving program and Aquatics Director at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Kroll arrives from Buffalo State University where he served as the Head Coach for the Bengals for the past six years.
“Coach Kroll and I are aligned in our focus to rebuild and grow a successful swimming and diving program,” said Hendricks. “The 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics put this incredible sport and its athletes on display. I am proud of UMass Dartmouth for its continued investment in its varsity athletics opportunities and look forward to the next chapter in Corsair Swimming and Diving.”
During his six-year tenure at Buffalo State, Kroll helped grow and establish the Bengals swimming & diving program. He aided the team to produce 23 top-8 finalists at the SUNYAC Championships while also seeing seven school records broken throughout his time at Buffalo State. Kroll also guided several student-athletes to earn qualification for the NCAA Division III Diving Regionals. During the 2022-23 season, 42 student-athletes achieved personal bests highlighted by four school records getting shattered.
Prior to Buffalo State, Kroll was appointed as the first Head Coach of the men’s and women’s swimming & diving program at Manchester University in 2014. He helped bring the program to new heights during his four-year tenure and was awarded the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Women’s Swimming & Diving Coach of the Year for the 2017-18 campaign.
Kroll has garnered over 17 years of coaching experience since serving as an Assistant Coach at his alma mater SUNY Brockport prior to graduating in 2006 for a two-year stint. He then served as the Assistant Coach at Ohio Wesleyan University for three years before taking the helm at Manchester for their inaugural season.
A native of Medina, New York, Kroll also served as the Aquatics Director at Buffalo State and Ohio Wesleyan where he oversaw the management of the institution’s pool facilities. He was responsible for scheduling, coordinating, and generating contracts for all groups and events utilizing the facilities while also ensuring the safety and maintenance of the pool for operation.
Furthermore, Kroll has invested his time as a swim counselor throughout his career including at California University of Pennsylvania, University of Tennessee, USMA West Point (Army), and Arete Swim Camp.
Kroll earned his associate’s degree from Genesee Community College in 2003 before receiving his Bachelor of Arts, History from SUNY Brockport in 2006. During his time at Brockport, Kroll was a member of the Army ROTC and was given the ROTC USAA Cadet Leadership Award in 2004 and 2005.
