COACHING STAFF
BRYON TANSEL
Title: Associate Head Coach
Bryon Tansel is in his second year as associate head coach with the University of Michigan men's and women's swimming and diving teams.
Tansel was previously at The University of Louisville, where both Cardinals' programs finished third at the ACC Championships, with the men going on to a 13th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. He arrived at Louisville following five seasons at Ohio State, where he was part of three consecutive top-10 NCAA finishes with the OSU men's program and a school-best seventh-place finish for the women. Tansel helped coach the 2021 Ohio State teams that saw the women win their third consecutive Big Ten championship while the men's squad finished third.
Before OSU, Tansel coached at LSU in 2016-17, working directly with the sprint group and coaching four individual school records and two program records in the 200- and 400-yard medley relay.
The Dundee, Mich., native previously spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan, where he was part of two men's Mid-American Conference championship teams (2015, 2016), while the women's program improved from fourth place in 2014 to consecutive second-place finishes in 2015 and 2016. Tansel led the Eagles to 27 varsity records, eight MAC records and 12 individual and relay conference championships.
While at EMU, Tansel coached Cole Bateman to a semifinal appearance in the 200 backstroke at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials and three swimmers to the NCAA Championships, including freshman Delaney Duncan. She became the first freshman in program history to qualify for nationals, earning NCAA All-America honorable mention status with her 14th-place finish in the 100 breaststroke.
Tansel also has coached the Dallas Mustangs Swim Team national group, the Dallas Aquatic Masters, and Poseidon Swimming Inc., alongside a volunteer coaching position at the University of Richmond. His first coaching job was for the Oakland Live Y'ers in Troy, Mich.
Tansel graduated from Oakland University, where he was named the Summit League Swimmer of the Year in 2005 and received All-Summit League first team honors from 2003-08. He was elected team captain during his final two seasons for the Golden Grizzlies and earned his bachelor's degree in business management before earning a master's in sport management from EMU.
AARON BELL
Title: Associate Head Coach
Aaron Bell is in his second year as an associate head coach with the University of Michigan men's and women's swimming and diving programs.
Like fellow Michigan coach, Bryon Tansel, Bell came from the Louisville Cardinals where the women achieved the most points in school history (288) en route to a fourth-place finish, while the men placed 13th, in 2023.
Before Louisville, Bell spent five seasons at Notre Dame as an associate head coach and men's program recruiting coordinator. At ND, Bell worked with ACC distance champions Zach Yeadon (two-time ACC champion) and the 2021 ACC Championships Swimmer of the Meet Jack Hoagland. His work with the Irish men helped contribute to a 29-12 dual-meet record over his tenure, also helping the women to a 40-6 dual-meet record. Thirty-four Notre Dame swimmers earned outright All-America status during Bell's tenure.
Prior to Notre Dame, Bell served on staff at Virginia Tech (2011-16) and Buffalo (2007-11).
At Virginia Tech, Bell was the head assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2011-14 and the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator from 2014-16. The Hokies' men finished in the top four at the ACC Championships all five years, including an ACC team title in 2014 and a pair of runner-up finishes in 2012 and 2013. Meanwhile, the women's team placed in the top five each year and posted a runner-up showing in 2013.
Between the two programs, 72 student-athletes qualified for the NCAA Championships and qualified 24 for the Olympic Trials. Katarina Filova (Slovakia) advanced to the 2012 London Olympics, while Michal Szuba (Poland) swam at the 2013 World University Games and 2015 World Championships.
A combined 79 school records and four ACC marks fell while Bell coached at Virginia Tech.
At the University of Buffalo, the men's team claimed four top-three finishes, including a MAC championship in 2011, while Bell coached 20 individual champions, 74 school records and four NCAA diving qualifiers.
Other previous coaching experiences include serving as both a graduate assistant (2004-06) and volunteer assistant (2007) at Ohio and serving as the head assistant coach at the University of Miami (2006).
Bell had a standout career at Clarion University in Clarion, Pa., earning 20 All-America scrolls at the Division II institution. He was a senior national qualifier in 2003 and 2004 and left school as the program record holder in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke. In 1999, Bell earned the prestigious Kelly Cup Award, which goes to the Pennsylvania amateur athlete of the year. He is a member of USA Swimming and the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA).
Bell graduated from Clarion with a Bachelor of Science in liberal studies in May 2004. He then completed the coaching education program through Ohio's School of Recreation and Sport Sciences department in June 2007.
Bell and his wife, Courtney, have two sons, Brody and Landon, and a daughter, Lucy.
GUNNAR SCHMIDT
Title: Associate Coach
Gunnar Schmidt is in his second year as an associate coach with the University of Michigan men's and women's swimming and diving programs.
Schmidt is a familiar name to the U-M and Ann Arbor swimming and diving community. A 2009 graduate and former Wolverines competitor, he served as head coach of Club Wolverine from 2016-2023.
Schmidt competed for U-M between 2005-09 and saw most of his action over his final two seasons in the 500-, 1,000- and 1,650-yard freestyle events before graduating with a degree in biology.
Schmidt transitioned from athlete to coach in 2009 in the Chicago area with Big Blue Swim School. He later moved back to Ann Arbor, began coaching Club Wolverine, Club Wolverine Elite and worked with the U-M swimming and diving program as a program assistant and later volunteer coach.
As head coach and executive director of Club Wolverine, Schmidt developed numerous state champions and qualified athletes for Junior Nationals and U.S. Nationals. Under Schmidt's tutelage, Club Wolverine qualified five swimmers for the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials and placed two swimmers on the U.S. National Junior Team. He also was an assistant coach on the 2022 USA Swimming National Junior Team (Mel Zajac Team).
Schmidt is the recipient of the 2018 NCSA Coach of the Year and 2020 Michigan Coach of the Year.
PRISCILLA BARLETTA
Title: Assistant Coach
Barletta joins the University of Michigan coaching staff for the 2021-22 season after spending two seasons at Penn State.
In Barletta's first season with the Wolverines she helped Kathryn Ackerman, Kathryn Shanley, Kaitlynn Sims, Victoria Kwan, and Megan Glass qualify for the NCAA Championships. At the Big Ten Championships, she coached Ackerman to a fourth-place finish, Shanley to an 11th place finish, and Sims to a 15th-place finish in the 500 free. In the 1650 free, she helped Ackerman to a seventh place finish, Sims to an eighth place finish, and Shanley to a tenth place finish. In the 400 IM Ackerman and Kwan finished fourth and fifth and Claire Donan finished 14th. On the men's side, Barletta helped coached Olympian Jake Mitchell to three second-place finishes at the Big Ten Championships in the 500 free, 1650 free, and the 400 IM, and Jared Daigle claimed the Big Ten Title in the 400IM. At the NCAA Championships, Daigle finished 14th in the 400IM and the 800 free relay team finished 14th.
While in State College, Barletta worked with the distance group, developing the backstroke and freestyle workouts for 2021 400 IM Big Ten Champion Michael Daly. The Nittany Lions earned the most points in program history at the Big Ten Championships in 2021 and sent seven swimmers to the NCAA championships.
Prior to her time at Penn State, Barletta spent two seasons at Army West Point, leading the distance group and serving as the lead recruiter for the east coast. While there she helped Army set 42 team records and win 13 individual Patriot League championships over two years. Before West Point, Barletta also spent a season working at the University of Connecticut as the sprint and middle distance coach.
Barletta graduated from Lehigh University with a bachelor's degree in biology and a master's degree in physical education and exercise science from Montclair State University.
JARED DAIGLE
Title: Assistant Coach
Jared Daigle is in his second year as assistant coach with the University of Michigan men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams.
Daigle joined the coaching staff following a five-year career with the Wolverines. Daigle garnered a number of accolades in his time with U-M, including an individual Big Ten title and an All-Big Ten Second Team selection.
As a graduate student in 2022-23, Daigle logged three top-10 finishes at the Big Ten Championships led by a second-place result in the 400-yard IM with a time of 3:40.99. Daigle also logged a personal best in the 200-yard backstroke preliminaries at the NCAA Championships with a mark of 1:41.44. Daigle’s senior season featured a Big Ten title in the 400-yard IM and two other top-10 finishes against the best in the conference. In his junior campaign, Daigle once again qualified for the NCAA Championships with three top-10 results at the Big Ten Championships. Daigle qualified for three consecutive NCAA Championships from his junior season to his final year as a graduate student.
A native of Waltham, Mass., Daigle graduated from Michigan with a Bachelor’s degree in health and fitness.
COKEY HUFFMAN
Title: Diving Coach
Cokey Huffman enters her second season in 2024-25 as diving coach with the University of Michigan men's and women's swimming and diving teams.
Huffman most recently served as an assistant to former Michigan diving coach Mike Hilde for two seasons. In her role, Huffman assisted with training the divers in the water and on dry land as they prepared to compete for Big Ten and national championships.
Prior to her time with the program, Huffman served as a certified judge with World Aquatics, a status she currently maintains. From 2007-2016, Huffman judged a variety of national, collegiate and international meets, most notably at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Before judging competitions, Huffman coached at the high school level at nearby Chelsea High School. At Chelsea, Huffman guided many student-athletes to state finals and coached two athletes who received Division I scholarships.
An Ann Arbor native, Huffman was a competitive diver for 22 years before joining the coaching and judging ranks. At the club level, Huffman was a part of the Kimball Divers, led by longtime Michigan diving coach and five-time Olympic coach Dick Kimball. Huffman went on to compete for Kimball at U-M from 1986-1988. Huffman was a finalist at the 1987 and 1988 Big Ten Championships at one and three meters and placed fourth in platform diving at the NCAA Championships.
Huffman shined on the international stage, capturing two USA Diving senior national titles and reaching the platform finals at the 1991 World Championships as a part of 12 USA Diving National Team selections.
Huffman graduated from Michigan with a Bachelor of Science from the School of Natural Resources and currently resides in Ann Arbor with her husband, Ed Goodman.
KYLE DUNAWAY
Title: Director of Operations and Player Development/Camp Co-Director
Kyle Dunaway is in his second year as the director of operations and player development for the University of Michigan men's and women's swimming and diving programs.
Dunaway came to U-M after most recently serving as the director of operations at Ohio State from 2017-21, where he coordinated all operational aspects of the Buckeyes' program. He has worked in a university setting since 2006, including a stint as head swimming and diving coach at Transylvania University from 2010-14.
While serving as the head coach at Transylvania, Dunaway helped his student-athletes break 34 school records and was named the 2014 Women's Coach of the Year in the Ohio Athletic Conference. Transylvania swimmers garnered six individual conference titles, set four conference records and saw 27 all-conference performances.
In 2013, he added an assistant athletic director title to his duties, including marketing efforts for all 26 programs and program oversight of several programs.
Prior to his time at Transylvania, Dunaway also made stops at DePauw University and Wabash College, where he served as an assistant swimming coach. At DePauw, he helped lead the team to a 13th-place finish at NCAA Division III Championships in 2010 and a sixth consecutive Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference title. While at Wabash, his swimmers broke seven school records and earned three individual NCAA Division III Championship qualifications. Out of the pool, he arranged travel arrangements for all student-athletes and coaches while also serving as the aquatics director for the college's multi-million dollar swimming facility.
A graduate of Wittenberg University, Dunaway was a two-time team captain and a letterwinner in each of his four years on the swim team. He was a five-time North Coast Athletic Conference semifinalist and the 400 individual medley school record holder. In 2003, he was selected to attend the NCAA's Leadership Conference, one of just 300 student-athletes nationwide to attend.
DANIELLE TANSEL
Title: Camp Co-Director
Danielle Tansel is a former collegiate swim coach who spent more than a decade on pool decks at Oakland University, the University of Richmond, Southern Methodist University (SMU), Ohio State University and here at the University of Michigan. In fact, she was a camper here at the age of 16 and helped run the camps from 2012-2016, while she was on deck coaching the Wolverines!
Tansel was a four-year letterwinner at Notre Dame (2001-04), helping the Fighting Irish to four-straight Big East Conference titles. She's a former school record holder in the 100-yard backstroke, and on the 200-yard freestyle relay and 400-yard freestyle relay. Tansel was a NCAA qualifier and a four-time Big East Academic All-Star. She graduated Cum Laude from Notre Dame in 2004 with a B.A. in anthropology, and earned her master's degree in counseling with a school specialization from Oakland University in April 2008. She is married to one of the current Michigan swim coaches, Associate Head Coach Bryon Tansel and the two have a son, Ford.