North Carolina Friday announced the hiring of Dr. Kirk Grand as an assistant coach on Mark Gangloff’s men’s and women’s swimming staff.
Grand received his Ph.D. in psychophysiology at Auburn, as well as a Master’s degree in exercise physiology and human performance from Indiana. He coached at both of those universities along the way.
“I’m tremendously grateful to Mark Gangloff and the administration for affording me the opportunity to coach at the University of North Carolina,” Grand said in a university release. “UNC is a world class institution that offers an amazing combination of academic and athletic excellence. I’m excited to work with a fantastic staff and serve an incredible team as they pursue their dreams in the pool and out.”
Grand most recently coached at SwimLab Denver and the Denver Swim Academy.
Grand swam at Miami (Ohio) University before graduating from Ohio State. He spent two seasons at Indiana from 2011-13 as the head senior group coach for the Counsilman Center Swim Team and as the head boys coach at Bloomington South High School. He was the Indiana High School Coach of the Year and National High School Federation Sectional Coach of the Year in 2012.
After five seasons at Auburn, Grand returned to Indiana as an assistant, helping the Hoosiers win the men’s and women’s Big Ten titles in 2018-19. The men finished third at NCAAs that year.
Grand spent five seasons at Auburn, three as a volunteer assistant and two as a full assistant. He coached 19 All-Americans, including American sprinter Zach Apple and Hungarian national Peter Holoda. Grand was an assistant coach on the U.S. national team in 2018.
“Kirk Grand approaches swimming as the art and science that it is,” Gangloff said. “Kirk has worked with and learned from some of the best coaches and scientific minds in our sport and he brings these experiences to the Carolina program. I’m confident he will make an immediate impact on the Carolina program with a specific focus on the sprint group. Kirk is a true student of the sport and I can’t wait to work alongside him.
“Carolina swimming and diving has come a long way in a short period of time, but we have our sights set on bigger goals. Kirk will help us reach these new heights. The future is bright at Carolina. It’s a great day to be a Tar Heel.”