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Henk Jansen
Head Coach
Henk, an ASCA Level IV Coach, starts his 10th season with the Piranha Swim Team. Before joining the Piranhas, he was an Assistant Coach with the OMNI Swim Club of New Haven from 1999-2004, Head Coach at East Haven Swim Club from 1997-98, and a Volunteer Assistant at Southern Connecticut State University for the 1997-98 season while working full-time as a Computer Analyst for SNET (now AT&T) in New Haven. Henk graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Corporate Communications and a minor in Computer Science. Over the course of his 15 year coaching career Henk’s swimmers have broke numerous Team and CT State records, he has sent numerous swimmers to compete at the collegiate level including NCAA National Champions and has developed multiple YMCA National Champions, USA Senior and Junior National qualifiers. In 2008 Henk coached Piranha Peter Geissinger to the 2008 USA Olympic Team Trials in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2006, for his accomplishments and contributions to the sport of swimming, Henk was inducted into the East Haven High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame and in 2007 he was honored by his alma mater, Southern Connecticut with the Bruce Hutchinson Alumni Award. From 2006-2010 Henk served as Connecticut Swimming’s Senior Chair and he is currently the Chair of the Technical Planning Committee. Henk resides in Shelton with his wife, Michele, daughters Olivia and Avery and his son Zach.
Michael Jordan
Assistant Coach
Jordan, an ASCA Level III Coach and an 8 time Division II Swimming All-America while at Southern Connecticut State University, starts his first season of coaching with the Piranhas as of Fall 2014. Before joining the Piranhas, Michael was the Head Developmental Coach at Norwalk Zeusfrom 2012-14 where he worked with kids 6-12 years of age and assisted the Head Coach with the Senior training program. He spent two years as the assistant Head Coach at the Trumbull Pisces from 2011-12, was Swim Team Director at the Jewish Community Center in Bridgeport from 2005-11 and Aquatics Director at the YWCA in Danvers, Massachusetts for two years prior to 2005. Michael has an impressive Aquatic background, from his days as a swimmer growing up at the YMCA in Danvers, Mass., to his Coaching and Aquatic Director positions over the years. He has coached countless CT Age Group and CT Senior qualifiers and brings a wealth of swimming and coaching knowledge to the Piranhas. Michael earned his Bachelors of Science degree in Recreation from SCSU in 1996. He currently resides in Milford, CT with his wife and four children.
Liz Blau
Assistant Coach
Liz Blau is starting her 4rd year of coaching with the Piranhas and her 3rd as a full-time coach. Liz brings a wealth of coaching experience and knowledge to the team. Before joining the Piranhas, Liz was the Men’s and Women’s Head Swim Coach at Rutgers University, an Assistant Coach at the Red Bank YMCA and an Assistant Coach with Scarlet Aquatic Club of New Jersey. She will work primarily with the House, Maia, Nautilus and Poseidon groups. Liz resides in Stamford with her husband Fritz and their children Billy and Haley.
Jim Matthews
Assistant Coach (YMCA Aquatics Director)
Jim Matthews, the Darien YMCA Aquatics and Waterfront Director is the longest tenured Piranha Coach on staff. Before joining the Darien YMCA in 2000, Jim was an Aquatics Director at the Wilton YMCA. He has taught hundreds, if not thousands, of kids how to swim in the Fairfield County Area. He brings decades of coaching and teaching experience to the Piranhas. His duties with the Piranhas include working primarily with the Maia group. He is a native of Rainbow Lakes, NJ, and currently resides in Stamford with wife Susanna.
Amy D’Andrea
Assistant Coach (YMCA Assistant Aquatics Director)
Amy, starting her 9th year of coaching with the Piranhas, is the Darien YMCA Aquatics Programming Director. Before joining the Darien YMCA, Amy coached and taught swim lessons at the Merrimack Valley YMCA in Andover, Mass. She was a competitive swimmer, diver and synchronized swimmer and is a graduate of Springfield College with a degree in Psychology. With the Piranhas, she works primarily with the Maia group. She resides in Stamford with her husband Dan and their children Jessie, Mia, Samantha and Daniel.
Jessica Johnston
Assistant Coach
Jessica starts her 6th year of coaching with the Piranhas. She was a full-time Piranha Assistant from 2010-11 before she moved back to Syracuse for a year. She is a graduate of Lemoyne College in upstate New York with a degree in Psychology. While at Lemoyne she was a four year member of the Lemoyne Varsity Swim Team and captain her senior year. Since coming to the Piranhas she has coached every group on the Team and has assisted on many of the Senior travel meet trips. She works primarily with the Nautilus and Poseidon groups. She is a native of Syracuse, New York and currently resides in Norwalk with her fiance Michael.
Brittany Daniel
Assistant Coach
Brittany is a former Westhill High Swimming standout and Water Polo player at Drexel University. She starts her second year of coaching with the Piranha Swim Team. She is the YMCA’s Camp Waterfront Director and has been a swim instructor at the Y for over 5 years. She is currently studying Human Development and Family Studies at UCONN. Brittany works primarily with the Nautilus, Triton and Poseidon groups. She resides in Stamford.
Courtney Whiting
Assistant Coach
Bio coming soon.
