GWU Hires Mike Blum as Assistant Swim Coach
June 16, 2011 | Swimming
Boiling Springs, N.C. - Gardner-Webb men's and women's swimming head coach Mike Simpson is pleased to announce the hiring of Mike Blum to the GWU coaching staff, where he will serve as an assistant coach for both the men's and women's swim teams.
Blum comes to Gardner-Webb having coach three years as an assistant at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida, an up and coming swimming program in both the Southern State Conference and the NCAA Division II ranks.
"We are very excited to have Mike join the GWU swimming family. He has a passion for coaching that will work right in with our staff," commented Coach Simpson. "Mike has had four years working with two great swim programs; three seasons with Duncan Sherrard establishing the up and coming Division II team at Florida Southern and last year working with John Bruenning and Steve Brown at arguably the best distance-based age group program in America at Sarasota. Mike has contributed so much to both Florida programs and is a fantastic addition to our school and swim team."
While at Florida Southern, where Blum also served as the Interim Head Coach for a semester, Blum coached the mid-distance and distance groups, which broke and reset every Florida Southern school record during his time with the Mocs. He helped to produce the school's first-ever national qualifiers, as well as eight NCAA Division II All-Americans and one national champion.
This past year, Blum served as the Head Age Group Coach and Assistant Senior Coach for the Sarasota YMCA Sharks in Venice, Florida. During his time with the Sarasota YMCA Sharks, Blum's team won the 2011 Florida Swimming Junior Olympic Team Championship and the 2011 Short Course YMCA National Championship. He coached several YMCA National Champions and had a number of swimmers qualify for the nationals at both the junior and senior levels.
Blum, who is originally from New Port Richey, Florida, graduated from Florida Southern College in 2008 with a B.A. degree in Physical Education.
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