Nathan Rhoads is in his second year of coaching for the Runnin' Bulldogs and on Head Coach Mike Simpson's staff with Gardner-Webb swimming. With 15 years of coaching under his belt, Rhoads has transitioned seamlessly into the ranks of a Division I assistant coach, working primarily with the distance swimmers in the Runnin' Bulldogs' men's and women's swimming programs. In his first season at GWU, Rhoads saw tremendous success immediately, watching as four of his milers (Luke Denman, Madi Dinsmore, Andy Watts, Sam Wilson) finished in the six in their events at 2012-13 CCSA Championships. Denman won the men's 1,650 free as a freshman, while teammate and fellow freshman Watts finished in 2nd place in the event to give the Runni'n Bulldogs two All-Conference performers in the event. Wilson took sixth in the event, as GWU occupied three of the top six spots in the men's 1,650 free, and Dinsmore placed fifth in the women's 1,650 free. A native of Scottsdale, Arizona, Rhoads has held numerous coaching positions on club teams throughout the United States, having coached at Lakeside Aquatic Club (Texas), the Quantico Devil Dolphins (Virginia), Baylor Swim Club (Tennessee), Jacobs Aquatic Club (Florida), and the Westside Silver Fins YMCA team (Arizona). In addition to his diverse coaching experience, Rhoads adds to his resume´ experience in having coached athletes who have gone on to qualify for Olympic Trials as well as Youth National Team members. He has served as the primary coach for a host of National Top 10 swimmers, Texas Age Group Swimming event champions, U.S. Open and National and Junior National qualifiers, and U.S.A. Swimming Top 100 competitors. Rhoads was born December 28, 1978 in Flint, Michigan. He is a graduate of Arizona State University and Scottsdale Arcadia High School (Scottsdale, Ariz.). Rhoads currently resides in Shelby, N.C. along with his wife, Sheryl, and their daughter Lily (1). | 