Ohio State director of swimming and diving Bill Dorenkott announced on Friday that Kyle Patnode and Mike Sullivan will serve as volunteer assistant coaches with the program this upcoming season. It came from a statement from the athletics department.
Both were four-year swimming letter winners in the Big Ten at Iowa and Wisconsin, respectively.
“I’m excited for Mike Sullivan and Kyle Patnode to join our program for this upcoming season,” said Dorenkott in a statement from the university. “We believe that both young men have the human qualities to take them far in the profession. To be a coach at The Ohio State University is a privilege and comes with great expectations. Our program values our volunteer assistant position and is dedicated to helping coaches grow professionally. Personally, I was provided similar opportunities at the start of my career and, in turn, have committed to pay it forward to the next generation to lead our sport.”
Patnote spent the last two seasons as a graduate assistant with the swim program at Oakland. Under head coach Peter Hovland, Patnode helped the men’s program win its 41st and 42nd consecutive conference championship and the women’s 25th and 26th consecutive championship.
“I’m excited to be a part of this program,” said Patnode. “This is an opportunity to be a part of a Big Ten and Power Five program that has and will continue to rise the ranks of collegiate swimming. I’m looking forward to all the opportunities to learn from Coach Dorenkott and his staff. Moreover, I’m looking forward to being a part of the culture that The Ohio State Swimming and Diving program has created.”
This past year, Sullivan was a coach at the Badger Aquatics Club in Madison, working mostly with the senior training group which consisted of higher-level athletes.
“I am excited to be part of a program that has not only had incredible success in recent years, but is doing it the right way,” said Sullivan. “Ohio State has continually been among the best programs in the country at developing swimmers throughout their four years. I saw firsthand during my time as a swimmer the type of pride the swimmers and staff have for Ohio State and I’m excited to be a part of that. I’m really looking forward to learning everything I can from the coaching staff. I also am looking forward to getting to know the entire team. They are a group of extraordinary swimmers but also incredibly interesting people who I am very lucky to get a chance to work with.”
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