By Braden Keith on SwimSwam
Roman Willets has been chosen to join the swimming & diving coaching staff at the University of Alabama, multiple sources have confirmed to SwimSwam.
Willets spent last season as a volunteer assistant with the men’s team at Cal and as a senior and age group assistant at the Ladera Oaks Swim & Tennis Club. During his season with Cal, the Golden Bears won their 4th-consecutive Pac-12 Championship and finished 2nd at the NCAA Championships.
Willets’ hiring begins the reformation of the Alabama coaching staff under new head coach Margo Geer, who was promoted from a volunteer assistant last season to head coach – in spite of never having held a full-time collegiate coaching job.
Alabama hasn’t announced any of the pieces that will join Geer on deck for the Crimson Tide next season. Geer’s tenure official begins in August 2021. She was on pace to compete for a spot on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Team, but instead announced her retirement in February. Ozzie Quevedo has served as the team’s interim head coach since Coley Stickels resigned from his position mid-season in December, just 18 months into the job.
Willets swam collegiately at the University of Michigan, graduating in 2014. He was an All-Big Ten performer as a junior as a member of the Wolverines’ runner-up 400 free relay at the Big Ten Championships when he was a junior in 2012. His best individual finish at the Big Ten Championships came as a senior, where he finished 12th in the 100 yard free (43.93).
As a freshman, he was a member of the Wolverine 14th-place 400 free relay, which earned him an Honorable Mention All-America award.
He is currently working on a Master’s degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science at Cal Baptist.
Willetts’ Coaching Stops:
- 2020-2021 – Cal (Men) – Volunteer Assistant
- 2018-2021 – Ladera Oaks Swim & Tennis Club – Senior and Age Group Assistant Coach
- 2015-2018 – The Bay Club Company – Head Age Group Coach (2015-2016) and Director (2016-2018)
- 2014-2015 – North Baltimore Aquatic Club – High Performance Assistant Coach
- 2013-2013 – San Clemente Aquatics – Age Group Coach
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Cal Volunteer Assistant Roman Willets Will Join Alabama Swimming Staff