North Carolina State University at Raleigh Men's Swimming & Diving

- 10x ACC Men’s Coach of the Year (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024) - 2017 ACC Women’s Coach of the Year - 7 NCAA Relay Champions - 12 NCAA Individual Champions - 9 Men's Team ACC Championships - 2 Women's Team ACC Championships - Over 500 All-America selections - 102 ACC Individual Champions - 59 ACC Relay Champions - Career Dual Record at NC State: 169-60-1 [Men: 86-21-1 | Women: 83-39] - 2025 World Championships Head Coach for Team USA - 2022 World Championships Head Coach for Team USA - 2023 World Championships Assistant Coach for Team USA - 2019 World University Games Men's Head Coach for Team USA - 2017 World University Games Assistant Coach for Team USA - 2024 Olympic Assistant Coach for Team USA - Coached 14 Olympians in his career - Coached 2 Olympic gold medalists - Completed Seasons at NC State: 15 Braden Holloway, a five-time All-American and 2001 graduate of NC State, was named head coach of the Wolfpack swimming and diving program on June 29, 2011. Since being named to the position, Holloway’s tenure has been full of success. After capturing the 2013 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Men's Coach of the Year honor, he has gone on to win that award 10 times (2013, 2015-2020, 2022, 2023, 2024). Holloway was also the 2017 ACC Women's Coach of the Year. During the 2023-24 season was filled with more success for NC State swim and dive under the direction of Holloway. He led the Wolfpack men to their third straight ACC title and a fifth-place f

Cole Malone serves as the Associate Director of Creative Services for NC State Athletics, joining the staff full-time in August 2022. Malone previously serve...

Dan Kalupski was promoted to lead assistant coach/recruiting coordinator prior to the 2024-25 season. Kalupski has played a vital role in recruiting since his arrival at NC State ahead of the 2017-18 season. While at NC State, Kalupski has played a tremendous role in the development of the entire Wolfpack swimming and diving program. Starting in 2017 and continuing through the 2023 season, Kalupski’s efforts on the pool deck focused on the upper aerobic group. This included coaching All-Americans such as Anton Ipsen, Hannah Moore, Eric Knowles, Julia Poole, Kate Moore, Emma Muzzy, Ross Dant, Will Gallant, Noah Bowers and James Plage amongst numerous others. Beginning in the summer of 2023, Kalupski shifted his focus to the middle-distance group. This resulted in successful campaigns for a number of Wolfpack swimmers highlighted by Kennedy Noble’s runner-up finish in the 200-meter backstroke at the NCAA Championships and Arsenio Bustos’ fourth place finish in the 200 IM. Kalupski also coached freshman Daniel Diehl to Freshman of the Year honors in the ACC. During Kalupski’s time at NC State, the Pack men have won six of seven ACC Championship team titles and have finished no worse than eighth place at NCAAs, highlighted by fourth place finishes in 2017-18 and 2021-22. The men have also won nine individual/relay NCAA titles and set seven American records during his time with the Pack. In that same time, the Pack women’s team took home the ACC Championship in 2019 while finishin

In the summer of 2023, coach Dan Kesler returned to Raleigh to help lead the Wolfpack swim teams in their continued quest for excellence on the NCAA and international levels. Multiple athletes under Kesler’s guidance achieved lifetime bests and first-time accomplishments in the pool, highlighted by Kyle Ponsler’s school record and NCAA consolation finalist appearance in the 400 IM. Later in the summer of 2024, Ponsler placed sixth at the 2024 USA Olympic Trials. Kesler spent two years as head coach at Utah Tech prior to his arrival to NC State. During his tenure at Utah Tech, all school records were broken. He was voted Coach of the Year for the WAC, a first-time accomplishment for the university across all sports. He coached the 2023 WAC Swimmer of the Year and developed the first WAC champion in Utah Tech history. Kesler spent two years as associate head men’s and women’s swimming coach at Florida State. While at FSU, he worked with the middle-distance and stroke groups, helping lead both Seminole programs to fifth-place finishes at the ACC Championships. Prior to his time in Tallahassee, he had a seven-year stint as an assistant coach at Arizona State (2012-19), where he worked with the distance and middle-distance groups while serving as the recruiting coordinator. Kesler spent four years at ASU working under legendary coach Bob Bowman, who is best known for coaching the most decorated Olympian of all-time, Michael Phelps, among others. Kesler began his collegiate coachin

McKown comes to NC State in 2024 after serving as the head women’s diving coach at UCONN, where he led the program to three individual Big East Diving titles, seeing a sweep of the top three 3m places at the 2023 Big East Championships. He had six Zone A qualifiers over two years and one finalist in 2024. He also doubled the Huskies team diving points from 2022 to 2023. Before his time at UCONN, McKown made a significant impact as the head diving coach at the University of Indianapolis. His leadership led to a historic sweep in the men's 1-meter national championship, a feat that included coaching the first national diving champion in school history. In his tenure at Indianapolis, McKown developed 11 Division II All-Americans, 38 first-team All-Americans, and nine All-America Honorable Mention honors. In addition, McKown has produced 22 individual event conference champions and 12 GLVC Diver of the Year awards. Upon his arrival at Indianapolis, coach McKown coached divers to break every UIndy men's and women's diving record, and he held three GLVC conference records. From 2013 to 2022, McKown was the head satellite diving coach at the Indiana International School of Diving. He produced a junior national champion and 12 junior national finalists. He coached 17 J.O. Regional Gold medalists, laying the foundation for multiple future NCAA D-I, World Championship Trials, and Olympic trial qualifiers. McKown was a Division I diver at Miami University (Ohio), where he graduated in 2

Jeff Kuelling MS, LMT, LAT, ATC Kuelling joined the North Carolina State Sports Medicine staff in January 2021. He currently serves as the primary athletic trainer for the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams. Kuelling pursued and obtained a certification in massage therapy from Stark State College. He went on to attend the University of Akron where he obtained both a Bachelors of Science in Athletic Training and a Masters of Science in Sports Administration. Prior to joining the Wolfpack, Kuelling worked as an athletic trainer through University Hospitals covering two high schools in northeast Ohio. He also served as an interim Athletic Trainer for the Cleveland Comets Professional Fast-Pitch team. Kuelling continued on to intern at the University of Tennessee for the Track and Field and Cross country teams. Kuelling holds memberships in the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, Southeast Athletic Trainers’ Association, Tennessee Athletic Trainers’ Association, Mid-Atlantic Athletic Trainers’ Association, North Carolina Athletic Trainers’ Association, and USA Swimming. Kuelling is originally from Cuyahoga Falls, OH. In his free time, he enjoys riding his motorcycle, golfing, and hiking.

John Abbatoy joined the Wolfpack Strength Staff in August of 2021. His primary responsibilities include the performance program design and implementation for Men’s and Women’s Swim & Dive as well as Men’s and Women’s Cross Country & Distance Track. John is also responsible for organizing and administering the monthly continued education for the strength and conditioning staff. Prior to joining the Wolfpack, John was the Lead Performance Coach for Coronado Swim/Team Elite (CSTE). In this position, he was responsible for the development and program implementation for youth, collegiate, professional, and Olympic level swimmers. Before CSTE, John was an Assistant Strength & Conditioning coach at Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU), designing and implementing the performance programs for Women’s Volleyball, Women’s Soccer, and Women’s Golf while assisting with Women’s Basketball, Baseball, Men’s Soccer, and Men’s Basketball. During the time he was at PLNU he was also working as a Performance Specialist at EXOS where he was responsible for the design and implementation of performance programs for high school, collegiate, professional, and tactical athletes. John earned a Master of Science in Kinesiology as well as a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership at PLNU. He obtained his Bachelor of Science from Eastern Michigan University. He currently holds the CSCS certification from the NSCA. John is a Navy Veteran and former collegiate lacrosse player. John is married to Stephan

Kevin Happ serves as the director of operations for NC State swimming and diving and is in charge of the program’s day-to-day operations. Before joining the ...

Megan Albidrez, Senior Associate Director, joined ASPSA in January 2003. In her current role she is an Academic Coordinator for Volleyball, Women’s Soccer, Wrestling, and Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving. She also oversees advising for Olympic sports. Originally from Mechanicsburg, PA, she received a BS in Health Sciences from St. Francis University, where she was a member of their Women’s Volleyball team. She was inducted into the St. Francis University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022. Megan received her MA in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Before joining ASPSA, she served as an intern at Florida State University and as a Graduate Assistant at the University of Pittsburgh. She currently resides in Holly Springs with her husband, Rob, and their two children, Emma and Cruz. In her free time, she enjoys working out, traveling, and watching her kids' sporting events.

Michael Baric joins the Pack for the 2022-23 season following six seasons as the Assistant Swim Coach at the University of North Carolina. During his time wi...

Michelle Lee was named Chief of Staff in October 2021 after serving as Associate Athletic Director. Lee was hired as Director of Compliance in July 2002 and was promoted to Assistant AD for Compliance in July 2007. As Chief of Staff, Lee works alongside the Athletic Director and the Executive Staff to advance the department’s mission, vision, and priorities. She oversees a variety of projects, facilitates communication across the organization, and ensures initiatives remain aligned with the Department’s strategic goals. She also has direct supervision for men’s basketball, the men's and women's swimming and diving programs, as well as the men’s and women’s cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field programs. As SWA, Lee is the liaison with the Atlantic Coast Conference office regarding all Olympic sport issues. Prior to coming to NC State, Lee served as a Compliance Assistant at East Carolina from May 2000 to July 2002. She also has an extensive background in tae kwon do. She earned gold medals at the 1994 and '95 Olympic Festivals and was a silver medalist at the 1995 World Tae Kwon Do Championships held in Manilla, Philippines. She has obtained a fourth degree black belt, and has trained and lived at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Lee earned her Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Science and Sport Studies from UNC Greensboro in 1998 and then went on to receive a masters degree in athletic and physical education administration f

Stefani Wendelschaefer was promoted to assistant coach in May 2022. Wendelschaefer earned her title as assistant coach after spending the 2021 season as a volunteer assistant for the team. She has been working with the middle-distance group since 2022. "We are super excited to promote Stef to full-time assistant coach," said Holloway. "Within the first month of her arrival at NC State, I knew she was going to be a great fit for our student-athletes, our staff and our program's culture. Her hard work, dedication to our student-athletes' welfare and eagerness to learn did not go unnoticed. Stef has impressed me with her character, willingness to go the extra mile and her desire to make a positive impact on our program's development, growth and vision. Our student-athletes have connected with her more and more each day, and she is the perfect fit to who we are as a program and as a family." Wendelschaefer helped lead the Wolfpack men's team to its third straight ACC title in 2024, while the Wolfpack women's program finished second in 2023 and third in 2024, respectively. In both 2022-23 and 2023-24, the Wolfpack men's and women's programs both concluded the season with top-10 national finishes. Wendelschaefer has also been tabbed a USA Swimming National Team coach over the past two seasons, earning the honor in both September 2023 and September 2024. Since joining NC State's staff ahead of the 2021-22 season, Wendelschaefer has played an important role in all aspects of the Wolf