Jonty Skinner Says He’s On Way to Alabama, Alabama Confirms

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama, May 21. WHILE he stated explicitly to Swimming World that nothing is official, Jonty Skinner has confirmed with us that he is likely headed to the University of Alabama to join longtime friend Dennis Pursley's new regime as an assistant in Tuscaloosa. A day later, Alabama made the hire official with an announcement.

“I've worked with Dennis all over the planet,” Skinner told Swimming World. “The fact that Alabama committed to bringing him in spoke volumes for their commitment to raising the program to elite levels. He has a resume that few in the world can present on administrative, management and coaching levels and having him lead the way will be a huge plus.”

Skinner, an Alabama alum who won the 100-yard freestyle at NCAAs in 1975 and was the squad's most valuable swimmer in 1975-77, started out as a coach at Alabama as an assistant in 1978, before returning for a second stint in 1988 as an assistant head coach and the head coach in 1990. He later spend time as USA Swimming's Resident Team coach from 1994-200, and also as USA Swimming's Director of National Team Technical Support from 2000-08.

Skinner will be on his way to a third stint for the Tide.

“I have worked all over the world in recent years, anywhere from developing a local swimmer in Colorado to the Olympic Trials to working with elite swimmers in the world at the Olympic level,” Skinner said. “In my career I've gone from age group coach, to senior club coach, to college head coach, national team coach, to science and research, to performance science manager, back to working on deck with coaches and swimmers in Britain along with age group coaching in Monument Co. Along the way I have absorbed more insight and knowledge about this sport than I can get across to you in a week. It has been a fantastic journey.”

Skinner, along with retained assistant coach James Barber and diving coach Pat Greenwell, adds to what is becoming a stocked group of experienced coaches at Alabama to help spur the Tide to greater heights within the expanding Southeastern Conference.

“In recent years I've read extensively about and studied neuroscience,” Skinner said of his research to help improve Alabama swimmers. “I've been fascinated by how understanding how the brain works impacts day to day training and ultimately racing. It changes the way you think… it changes the way you talk to swimmers and ultimately the way you coach. I've developed a business I call Athletic Intelligence Brain Training to help swimmers and coaches understand how this relates to sport. It's opened thought and exploration that has kept me at the cutting edge of the sport. So now it's time to get all of that back into coaching swimmers on a daily basis in one location and one team focus in mind. I couldn't find a better place to do that than with Dennis and at Alabama.”

Pursley, who was just hired as head coach of Alabama on May 10, has been making short work of establishing a full staff. More announcements are likely to come about other staff hires.

Alabama's full release:

Former world record holder and NCAA Champion Jonty Skinner is returning to the University of Alabama to join head swimming and diving coach Dennis Pursley's staff it was announced Tuesday.

“We could not have a more qualified coach than Jonty Skinner join the Alabama staff,” Pursley said. “As a former world record holder and coach of Olympic gold medalists and national championship teams, Jonty has done it all at the highest levels of national and international competition. He will be primarily responsible for our sprint program but all of the swimmers and coaches on the team will benefit from his broad range of experience and expertise. ”

Skinner, who held the world record in the 100-meter freestyle from 1976-81 and won the Crimson Tide's first individual NCAA Championship in 1975, has coached at the highest levels for the past 30 years. After starting his coaching career at Alabama, Skinner went on coach the San Jose Aquatics Club, where he won a national championship team title and five junior national championship team titles. He also served as the inaugural coach of United States Swimming's Resident National Team, where he coached some of the nation's top swimmers at the elite national and international level.

“I'm excited to be heading back to Tuscaloosa and the University of Alabama and to have this amazing chance to work with Dennis again,” Skinner said. “He and I have worked together for a number of years at both USA and British Swimming and I think we're both excited to take what we've learned about swimming and coaching at the international level and apply it at the collegiate level.”

Skinner has coached swimmers to 18 national titles and 20 Olympic medals — including 17 gold. He has also produced two Kipputh Award winners. During his swimming career, Skinner captured four national titles to go with his five years as the world record holder in the 100m freestyle. In 1986 he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

After spending six years as the head of the USA Resident National Team, Skinner spent eight years as USA Swimming's Director of Performance Science and Technology, coordinating all of the testing, tracking and assessment of U.S. National Team members. For the past three years, he has worked in a similar capacity with British Swimming.

In addition to his work with the USA and British National teams, Skinner founded Athletic Intelligence Consulting to further his work and research in neuroscience and how it relates to elite level training and competition.

“Jonty has proven to be a leader in cutting edge science and technology as it applies to competitive swimming,” Pursley said. “His experience in working with many of the world's top swimmers and coaches will bring a wealth of knowledge to the Alabama program. He is a great motivator and proven winner who is passionately committed to helping his swimmers become the best that they can be.”

This will be Skinner's third stint with the Crimson Tide. He previously served on legendary UA coach Don Gambril's staff in the 1970s and then again in the late 1980s before becoming head coach in 1990, leading both the Tide men and women to top-10 national finishes in 1994, the same year he was named the SEC Women's Coach of the Year.

“There's no doubt that Alabama is a very special place and I can't imagine doing this anywhere else,” Skinner said. “The opportunity to coach with Dennis and live and work in such a tradition-rich environment was something I just couldn't pass up.”

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