ROCHESTER, Mich. – Oakland Swimming and Diving assistant coach Jonny Simoes has been promoted to Assistant Coach/Coordinator of Performance Analysis, head coach Mitch Alters announced on Monday.
"Jonny's promotion to Coordinator of Performance Analysis reflects the tremendous impact he has had on our program," said Alters. "His ability to combine technical expertise, data analysis, and athlete development has helped elevate our team's performance, and we are excited to see him continue to expand that influence in this new role."
Simoes has been on staff with the Golden Grizzlies since 2023, helping the Black and Gold reach their 48th (Men) and 32nd (Women) Conference titles.
Last season, Simoes assisted Oakland as they completed another dominant Horizon League Championship sweep, with both the men's and women's teams winning conference titles for the 13th straight season since joining the league. The Golden Grizzlies won 17 events, set 10 school records, seven Horizon League records, and senior Christopher Palvadre earned an NCAA Championship berth in the 100 breast as freshmen Cooper Dillman and Lydia Soldatke were multi-event winners from the meet. Soldatke was named the Horizon League's Women's Athlete and Newcomer of the Year for 2026.
In the 2024–25 season, Simoes helped guide the team to another championship sweep and a series of standout performances. Junior Harry Nicholson was named Men's Swimmer of the Meet after contributing to three Horizon League relay records. He teamed up with Chris Palvadre, Sofus Balladone, and Charlie Brown to break league records in both the 200 and 400 medley relays. Nicholson also helped lead the 200 freestyle relay—alongside Micah Scheffer, Jack Wike, and Brown—to a new conference record. On the women's side, freshman Grace Albrecht was named Women's Freshman of the Meet. The team broke 3 Horizon League records, 6 school records, and posted dozens of lifetime bests.
In the 2023–24 season, Simoes played a role in developing both individual and relay success across the roster. Junior Jordyn Shipps won three individual Horizon League titles and set school records in the 100 and 200 butterfly, breaking the league record in the 100 fly. Freshman Clarissa Bezuidenhout was named Newcomer of the Year after winning the 100 and 200 backstroke. On the men's side, senior Jack Wike broke both the Horizon League and Oakland records in the 200 IM and was part of the record-setting 200 freestyle relay with Micah Scheffer, Charlie Brown, and Christian Bart. The men also set a school record in the 200 medley relay with Harry Nicholson, Bart, Colin Martin, and Brown. The team totaled 3 Horizon League records, 7 school records, 26 NCAA B cuts, and over 150 lifetime best swims across this season.
Simoes came to OU after a successful swimming career at John Carroll University. He was a Division III All-American in the 200 Backstroke and 400 IM and a CSCAA Scholar All-American in 2021. While pursuing his undergraduate degree, Simoes coached with Seneca Valley Swim Club and spent his summers on deck at Stanford and NC State swim camps, working alongside some of the top coaches in collegiate swimming.
After graduating with an undergraduate degree in Accounting from JCU and a Master's in Exercise Science from Oakland, Simoes is currently in his second year of the Ph.D. program in Human Movement Science at OU.
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