Courtesy: Villanova Athletics
VILLANOVA, Pa. – Villanova Swimming and Diving head coach Rick Simpson has announced the addition of Keanan Dols to his coaching staff ahead of the 2023-24 season.
Dols swam for both the University of Penn and the University of Kentucky while also competing in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, representing Jamaica in the 200m fly and 200m IM. He holds eight Jamaican Senior National Records and swam for the Senior National Team from 2015-2023. He has also competed in four world championships.
“We are thrilled to have Keanan as a member of the Villanova Swimming and Diving Family,” head coach Rick Simpson said. “Keanan not only possesses a great athletic resume competing at the highest international level, but also a keen understanding and appreciation of the Villanova Swim and Dive Family Philosophy: that our athletes are people first and athletes second. I look forward to having Keanan as a great young mentor to our athletes both in and out of the pool.”
The Sarasota, Fla. native finished his collegiate career by swimming a fifth year at Kentucky, competing in both the 200 Fly and 200 IM at the SEC Championships. After the conference meet, he served as a volunteer coach for the Wildcats, helping run practices for the remainder of the season.
Dols swam as an undergraduate at Penn where he was a CSCAA Academic All-American and three-time Ivy Championship qualifier. A Class of 2022 graduate, he makes his way to the Main Line with a previous connection to the Villanova program. While he was a swimmer with the Quakers, he was coached by Villanova’s Associate Head Coach Laura McGlaughlin who was an assistant for the Quakers from 2018 to 2020 before she came back to her alma mater.
“I am very much looking forward to coaching alongside Keanan,” McGlaughlin said. “After having the chance to work with him as a student-athlete, I know that his approach to the sport and attentiveness to detail will be a great asset to our program. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with him again, and know that his competitive experience paired with his time as a student-athlete at the University of Pennsylvania and University of Kentucky will add amazing perspective to our team.”
