GAINESVILLE, Fla. – After three highly successful seasons as the men’s swimming and diving head coach at the University of Florida, Anthony Nesty adds women’s head coaching duties, Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin announced on Tuesday.
The men’s program has won the Southeastern Conference championship all three seasons under Nesty and finished third at the 2021 NCAA Championships. With Nesty helping lead the way, the men’s team has won nine straight SEC titles.
Nesty, who swam at Florida and was a gold medalist in the 1992 Olympics, has been on staff with the Florida swimming and diving program since joining as an assistant coach in 1999. He was promoted to associate head coach in 2006 and stepped in as men’s head coach in 2018 following the retirement of Gregg Troy.
“Anthony has proven himself to be an elite head coach with his success, and I know he’ll bring the same passion and abilities to overseeing Florida women’s program as he has the men’s,” Stricklin said. “He has a long and proven track record of bringing out the best in Gator student-athletes and helping them reach their potential athletically, academically and as people. He is the right person to lead our women’s team and push them to achieve at the highest levels.”
“I am honored and excited to be entrusted with the women’s swimming and diving program,” Nesty said. “The men’s and women’s teams have worked closely throughout my time at Florida, and I appreciate the opportunity to lead both programs. We will continue to hold ourselves to the highest standards and push ourselves to be excellent in everything we do.”
The women’s team finished second at the SEC Championships and 17th at NCAA Championships in 2021.
Jeff Poppell, UF’s women’s head coach from 2018-21, moved on to South Carolina where he had the opportunity to lead both the men’s and women’s programs for the Gamecocks.
