Swimcloud
Courtney Hart

Courtney Hart

Head Coach

A two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, a five-time NCAA Champion and the 2000 NCAA Women’s National Swimmer of the Year, Courtney Shealy Hart was named the head coach of the Yellow Jackets’ swimming and diving programs on April 30, 2009. Hart, who was a Georgia Tech assistant coach for two years from 2007-09, is the eighth head coach in the history of the program. Thanks in part to deep recruiting classes and the development of talent, Hart has steadily built Georgia Tech into a program that can compete in the nationally recognized Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Since taking over the reins of the program, both the men’s and women’s teams have consistently increased its points total at the ACC Swimming & Diving Championships each year. Hart has presided over a fantastic stretch for the Tech program that has seen multiple men’s swimmers compete in eight NCAA Championships since taking over the program before the start of the 2009-10 season. Since 2009, a total of 20 program records have been established multiple times on the men’s team and a total of 18 program records in both swimming and diving for the women’s team. The success has extended beyond the pool as the Yellow Jackets have annually been one of the nation’s top academic swimming & diving programs. The men’s swimming & diving team has earned APR Public Recognition Awards from the NCAA in 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, and 2015-16, while both the men’s and women’s programs annually earn CSCAA scholar all-America team honors. Hart spent one season as an assistant coach at North Florida in 2006-07 prior to arriving on The Flats where she served as an assistant coach from 2007-09. She helped guide North Florida to a fifth-place finish at the Pacific Coast Swimming Conference Championships and led nine individuals to top-16 finishes at the meet. She also guided one student-athlete to a top-eight finish in the conference championship meet. Hart’s long list of accomplishments include: 39 NCAA Championships participants Five NCAA all-Americans Nine ACC Individual Champions 17 all-Conference performers Countless school records broken Before heading into the coaching scene, Hart participated in the 2000 Summer Olympic Games for the United States. She took home a pair of gold medals in Sydney, Australia, in the 400 meter medley relay and 400 meter freestyle relay. Hart also competed on the international scene in the Pan-American Games (1999, 2003), Pan Pacific (2002) and the United States World Cup Teams (2000-04). At the University of Georgia, Hart led the Bulldogs to back-to-back NCAA team championships in 1999 and 2000. She was named the 2000 NCAA Female Swimmer of the Year after capturing individual national titles in the 50 free, 100 free and 100 back. She also captured NCAA titles as a member of the 400 free relay and 400 medley relay teams. She finished her NCAA career with 26 All-America honors, the most in UGA history, plus two more honorable mention citations. Hart won nine individual Southeastern Conference (SEC) titles, 10 SEC relay crowns and set five conference records. She was named the SEC Female Swimmer of the Year in 2000. In the pool, her accomplishments include: Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist 26 NCAA all-America honors 2000 NCAA National Swimmer of the Year 2000 SEC Swimmer of the Year Five-time NCAA Champion 19-time SEC Champion Georgia Aquatic Hall of Famer Irmo High School Hall of Famer After graduating from Georgia in 2001 cum laude with a degree in sports studies/communications, Hart worked as a motivational speaker for the NCAA, Coca-Cola, Healthsouth and Arby’s, and served as the director of the Golden West Swim Lessons Program in Huntington Beach, Calif., before heading to North Florida. In the summer of 2013, Hart was inducted in to the Georgia Aquatic Hall of Fame, signifying both her achievements as a collegiate all-American and National Swimmer of the Year at the University of Georgia and as a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist. Hart, who earned her master’s degree in sports administration from Georgia in 2005, was inducted into the Irmo High School Hall of Fame in September 2017. Hart and her husband, Justin, have two children – Jackson and Mara.
John Ames

John Ames

Diving Coach

John Ames, who has become a staple of the Georgia Tech program, enters his 18th year overall as the diving coach for the Yellow Jackets’ swimming & diving program in 2018-19. He came to The Flats in August 2001. Under Ames’ guidance, Tech divers continue to excel at the national level while rewriting the program record books. Over his time on The Flats, seven different Yellow Jacket drivers have qualified and competed at the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships in multiple events – Evan Stowers (2006 & 2007), Stephanie England (2008), Hannah Krimm (2008), Brandon Makinson (2011), Shannon Lumbra (2015), Brad Homza (2015 & 2016) and Matt Casillas (2018) – while combined the group has totaled eight NCAA all-America and honorable mention honors. The success has extended beyond the pool as the Yellow Jackets have annually been one of the nation’s top academic swimming & diving programs. The men’s swimming & diving team has earned APR Public Recognition Awards from the NCAA in 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, and 2015-16, while both the men’s and women’s programs annually receive CSCAA scholar all-America team honors, with over 25 divers having garnered CSCAA scholar all-America and all-America honorable mention honorees since 2001. Ames’ career highlights include: Seven NCAA Championships participants (22 events) Eight NCAA all-America honors (includes honorable mentions) 10 all-ACC performers Two ACC Champions Multiple school records Ames’ divers own the Georgia Tech record book on both the women’s and men’s side in all three diving events – 1-meter, 3-meter and platform dives – with the top-10 in all three events comprised of divers that competed for Tech from 2005 and on under Ames’ tutelage. Matt Casillas set the new school record in the men’s 3-meter dive in 2017-18 with a score of 424.95, eclipsing Brandon Makinson’s record of 422.55 set back in 2013. Brad Homza set the record in the men’s platform dive with a score of 436.25 in 2016, while Makinson is still the record holder in the 1-meter dive with a score of 388.50 from 2012. On the women’s side, Camryn Hidalgo broke the Tech record in both the 1-meter (331.35) and the 3-meter (362.10) dives in 2017-18, which were previously set back in 2016 and 2005, respectively, while Stephanie England set the record in the platform dive in 2007 with her score of 308.25. He has coached arguably Tech’s most decorated divers in Hannah Krimm, Stephanie England, Evan Stowers and Brad Homza. Ames coached Tech’s first female diving all-American as then-sophomore Krimm finished seventh on the 3-meter springboard at the 2008 NCAA Championships. Krimm was also recognized as an honorable mention all-American on the 1-meter board, while England was an honorable mention all-American in both the 3-meter and platform events in 2008. The Tech divers accounted for all 21 of the Jackets’ total points at the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships to lead them to a 30th-place finish — the highest in program history. Under Ames’ guidance, Stowers became the first-ever Tech diver to qualify for the NCAA Championships in 2006. At the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center, Stowers again made history by finishing seventh on the men’s platform, becoming the first Tech diver to garner all-America honors after becoming only the Jackets’ second-ever ACC individual champion in diving. Stowers returned to the NCAA Championships in 2017, earning all-America honors for the second-consecutive season. Homza, who became Tech’s third ACC Champion in diving in 2016 on the men’s platform event, earned NCAA all-America honors with an 11th-place finish in the 1-meter dive at the 2016 NCAA Championships. Along with his coaching duties at Tech, Ames also mentors the Atlanta Diving Association, which has become one of the top United States Diving programs in the state of Georgia. Hired in August 2001, Ames came to Tech from George Washington University and the Montgomery Dive Club, one of the largest diving programs in the nation. Prior to his stint with Montgomery and George Washington, Ames served as an assistant coach with the Northern Virginia Dive Club. He also worked as a graduate assistant and diving coach at Western Illinois University. Ames graduated from Ohio University in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology after completing his collegiate diving career with the Bobcats. He earned a master’s degree in sport administration while at Western Illinois.
Angie Nicolletta

Angie Nicolletta

Assistant Coach

Angie Nicolletta was announced as an assistant coach at Georgia Tech on July 31, 2019. Nicolletta joins the Yellow Jackets after spending three years as an assistant coach for the swimming and diving program at Alabama. She also served as the recruiting coordinator for the women’s program. “We’re extremely excited to have Angie on board here at Georgia Tech,” head coach Courtney Shealy Hart said. “Her years of experience recruiting and coaching at the highest level, in addition to her time competing in Conference USA, will make her a valuable addition to our staff and our team as we look to continue our program’s momentum.” Prior to Alabama, the Marietta, Ga. native spent four years coaching at Vanderbilt, helping lead the Commodore’s recruiting efforts, and a season at the Air Force Academy, where she helped the Falcons break five school records at the Mountain West Championships. She began coaching as a head site coach of the Stingrays Swimming Club in Marietta, as well as an assistant coach at two of the country’s premier swim clubs, Lakeside Seahawks and Nashville Aquatic Club. “I’m thrilled to be able to return home to Atlanta and join Georgia Tech and the Yellow Jacket family,” Nicolletta said. “I want to thank Courtney, Bill, John and Mike for welcoming me in and I’m looking forward to hitting the ground running with our team.” Nicolletta was a standout swimmer at Louisville before coaching, setting school records in the 200 fly and as part of the 200 free, 400 medley and 400 free relays. She also scored numerous top-five finishes for Louisville at Conference USA Championships, competing mainly in sprint freestyle and butterfly events. Nicolletta earned a bachelor’s degree in sports administration from Louisville in 2005.
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Temarie Tomley

Assistant Coach

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Arilson Silva

Assistant Coach

Chico Rego

Chico Rego

Assistant Coach, Recruiting Coordinator

Francisco Rego enters his first season as assistant coach with Georgia Tech swimming and diving, having been officially announced on Sept. 9, 2019. Rego joins the Yellow Jackets with nearly 15 years of coaching experience, both on the world’s stage for Brazil and in Auburn. He’s coached swimmers to more than 15 national championship and world championship medals, as well as nearly 100 state championship medals. “I’m thrilled to be able to welcome Francisco to Georgia Tech and our program,” head coach Courtney Shealy Hart said. “What ‘Chico’ has been able to accomplish both internationally and here in the U.S. makes him the perfect fit to help mentor our swimmers and continue our recruiting momentum.” Rego comes to The Flats after spending the last two years in Greenville, S.C., coaching Team Greenville swim club to both its first long-course and short-course state championships in more than 14 years. While in Greenville, Rego was also elected to be the head coach of the 2019 South Carolina Zones Team, where he led them to its best finish in history (fourth). Prior to Team Greenville, Rego coached for two-plus years at Auburn and with the Auburn Pro Team “Tiger Elite” club. During that time, Rego coached a myriad of world-class swimmers, including Kevin Cordes (multi-time medalist in Budapest 2017; gold medal in Rio 2016), Marcelo Chierighini (silver medal in Budapest 2017; finalist in Rio 2016) and Felipe Lima (finalist in Budapest ’17; bronze medal at Short Course World Championships in 2016). “First, I want to thank Courtney and the entire coaching staff for the process and for welcoming me to Georgia Tech,” Rego said. “I’m incredibly excited to be joining a place like the Institute, where both the academics and athletics operate at an elite level. I’m ready to hit the ground running and get working with one of the fastest-growing programs in the country.” Rego’s coaching highlights include: One World Championship Medal One South American Record Two Brazilian Nationals Championship Records 15 Brazilian Nationals Championship Medals Three NCSA Spring Championship Qualifiers Seven ESSZ Senior Sectionals Qualifiers 22 ESSZ Age Group Sectionals Qualifiers Five ESSZ Age Group Sectionals Medals 2018 South Carolina LCM State Champion with Team Greenville (First time in 14 years) 2019 South Carolina SCY State Champion with Team Greenville (First time in 15 years) 36 South Carolina State Championship Medals Three Rio de Janeiro State Records 60 Rio de Janeiro State Championship Medals 2019 South Carolina Zones Team Head Coach (Highest finish in history – fourth) Prior to coaching in the United States, Rego worked with multiple renowned swim clubs in his home country of Brazil, including Fluminense FC, Grajaú CC and Botafogo FR. Rego earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Estácio de Sá University in 2009 in Rio De Janeiro. While working at Auburn, Rego also earned a master’s degree in exercise physiology in 2017. Rego resides in Atlanta, Ga., with his wife, Dr. Kat McKinney.