Oakland University head swimming and diving coach Pete Hovland has announced the hiring of Michigan native Shawn Kornoelje as the program’s assistant coach. Kornoelje brings over 15 years of coaching experience to Oakland, including leading the US swim team in the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney and the 2004 Games in Athens. Also joining OU’s staff is graduate assistant Danielle Hulick, who comes to Rochester after a successful swimming career at Notre Dame.

“I'm extremely excited to announce Shawn's hiring,” Hovland said. “He brings a wealth of experience that transcends all levels of competitive swimming. His knowledge at both the USS club, YMCA, Collegiate and High School levels, not only in Michigan, but also throughout the region and country will be a tremendous asset to me and to our program and student-athletes. Shawn will be assigned to work with our distance swimmers and will also be assigned to coordinate all of our recruiting activities. Needless to say, OU is extremely fortunate to find someone with Shawn's diverse talents, enthusiasm and love for the sport of swimming and can't wait to get him started.”

A 1991 graduate of Eastern Michigan, Kornoelje has served in several coaching capacities in southeast Michigan since getting his start as an undergraduate assistant coach and manager while at EMU. Most recently, he worked as the aquatics supervisor for West Bloomfield Community Education and as the head coach for the Grosse Point South girls swim team where he earned conference Swimming Coach of the Year honors in 2003. Kornoelje has coached five different club teams in the area, including the Ann Arbor Swim Club from 1991-95 and 1998-2000. Serving first as an assistant coach and then as the head coach, Kornoelje trained one national champion and one Olympic gold medalist among his list of former athletes. His first stint as a head coach came in 1990 when he was named the skipper of the Ann Arbor Huron High School team, which was a two-time Class A state runner-up in ‘90 and ‘91.

In the mid-90s, Kornoelje was a volunteer assistant coach for the University of Michigan’s women’s swim team, which finished as the NCAA championship runners-up in 1995. He has also been a key member of the US Paralympics coaching staff from 1998-2004 where he has assisted in the training and preparation for team camps going into the 2000 Sydney Games, the 2002 World Championships in Argentina and the 2004 Athens Games at which he served as the head coach for the men’s team.

“Coaching swimming at the collegiate level has been a dream of mine since I started coaching in 1987,” Kornoelje commented. “The chance to teach and coach with one of the best coaches and programs in the country is very motivational. Oakland University has a great legacy and I hope to add something to it. I am very excited and honored at the opportunity to coach here at OU and the chance to make a difference in the swimmers that I will coach. The level of excellence that coach Hovland has developed in this program will help raise my own talents.”

Kornoelje is currently working toward his Master’s degree in Sport Administration at Wayne State and is certified with the American Swim Coaches Association. He is additionally the swimming coordinator on the Michigan Wheelchair Sports board.

Just one year removed from her record-setting career with the Irish, Hulick comes to Oakland with seven years of experience coaching at the club level and as a swim camp counselor at Notre Dame. A member of the Irish swimming and diving team from 2000-04, she holds school records in the 100 backstroke and 200 and 400 freestyle relays. The Big East champion swimmer was also on the league’s Academic All-Star list.

"I'm pleased to announce that Danielle has agreed to join our staff for the next two years,” Hovland said. “Danielle comes highly recommended and comes from a truly outstanding University of Notre Dame program where she had an outstanding academic and athletic career. As a former NCAA qualifier, a Big East champ, school record holder, and Dean's List member, Danielle will play a very important role on our staff and will be a great role model for future and current Golden Grizzly swimmers and divers."