We asked the 2025 World Aquatics Championships pool coaches about the start of their careers and what they are excited about for the meet in Berlin. Learn more about head coach Braden Holloway and assistant coaches Ron Aitken, Herbie Behm, Courtney Caldwell, Ray Looze, James Nickell, and Noah Yanchulis below. 

How long have you been coaching, and what initially inspired you to pursue coaching as a career?

Braden Holloway (head coach): My first year coaching was 2002 when I moved to Chicago. My wife at the time had a great job offer and we moved to the Midwest. I started with a different career path, but I wasn't fulfilled in it so I decided to give coaching a try. I was hired by a friend who was with a club team, and I began my journey. 

Ron Aitken (assistant coach): I've been coaching for 30+ years. I was originally inspired, and am still inspired, to help individuals become better and let them know as much about the sport as possible. Looking back, I wish I knew what I know now as a swimmer...I probably would have been much better. 

Herbie Behm (assistant coach): I hope each athlete gains even more confidence than they already have. Seeing how hard everyone has been working in training camp has been inspiring, and I want them to relish in the glory of that paying off. 

Courtney Caldwell (assistant coach): I am in my fourth year coaching at UVA. I have had some phenomenal coaches along the way (shoutout to Todd DeSorbo and Chase Bloch) who cared about the person behind the swimmer. They were a big inspiration to get me into coaching. I love being on deck, being social, and seeing people reach the goals they've worked so hard to achieve.

Ray Looze (assistant coach): I am in my thirty-third year of coaching and my high passion for swimming is the reason. I truly love this sport.

James Nickell (assistant coach): I have been coaching since 1981, so for 44 years. Mesa Aquatics needed an age group coach, and I took the role while finishing my degree. I was looking for a career that would merge art and science together, and coaching swim fit right in.

Noah Yanchulis (assistant coach): I have been coaching for seven years now. What inspired me to begin coaching was being able to impact and guide the lives of athletes in and out of the pool.

What will be your primary focus going into the meet, either for the athletes or your coaching perspective?

BH: My main focus going into the meet will be to make sure the athletes and coaches are getting what they need to prepare for Singapore. Besides helping the athletes I am directly overseeing, I want to make sure I lead the group by contributing to the positive team environment with passion and energy.  

RA: Primary focus is the athletes getting them whatever they need to perform there best. 

HB: Ourselves. That’s always been the focus and should be despite being on a bigger stage. There will be a lot we can’t control, but if we can keep the focus on ourselves and the things to the best of our ability, I know it will be a great experience.

CC: My primary focus is to help Team USA achieve greatness and gold. Also to soak up as much knowledge and different perspectives as I can from the other veteran coaches and athletes since this is my first trip.

RL: I want to do everything I can to provide a positive experience for our swimmers, and to contribute to the United States' success at the competition. It’s time for United States swimming to get back to dominating the world.

JN: I have two goals – helping keep the atmosphere light and helping with race analysis. 

NY: For the athletes, my focus will be for them to feel like this is an athlete-first experience. I hope to establish great communication with the athletes on this trip so they feel heard and supported from day one.

What is one thing you hope each athlete gains from this international experience?

BH: I hope each athlete gains a deeper sense of pride in their connection to, and legacy within, USA Swimming.

RA: Confidence, strength, and happiness.

HB: My favorite part of international competition is seeing different cultures work towards bettering themselves in the sport we all love. There are a lot of differences, but also a lot of similarities. I hope we all gain a lot of compassion for athletes around the world, and recognize the incredible opportunities that the sport has afforded to us.

CC: I hope each athlete gains even more confidence than they already have. Seeing how hard everyone has been working in training camp has been inspiring, and I want them to relish in the glory of that paying off. 

RL: I want them to have an appreciation for how lucky they are to represent the United States of America on the world stage. 

JN: A sense of accomplishment. So much effort and energy went into each athlete’s journey that I hope they relish the lessons gained on their path. 

NY: I hope each athlete gains a new perspective on the sport from a global perspective as there is so much to learn from athletes/coaches from other places. Additionally, I hope that athletes see a bigger potential in themselves through this process as they compete at the highest level.

Can you share one memorable coaching moment from your career that you find impactful, inspiring, or special?

BH: One memorable moment from my career that had an impactful and inspiring touch to me was during the 2008 USA Olympic Trials in the Women's 100m breaststroke. I had an athlete who was tied for eight in the semis. They swam the swim off late at night after finals in front of the large crowd. It was exhilarating. The athlete didn't win the swim off, but I left there more motivated for USA Swimming than I would have ever imagined. My role to that point as a college coach was so focused on college, that this moment helped my mind shift to the bigger picture. 

RA: Sharing one is hard because there are so many, The most memorable are the ones that you know they earned and all the work, focus, and dedication has come through.

HB: The relationships coaches build with their athletes is very special. Having the opportunity to recruit, coach, and develop Patrick Sammon and Jonny Kulow has been very rewarding. It’s been over six years of getting to know them, and now having the opportunity to share our first LCM World Championships together is truly unbelievable.

CC: When I was leaving my club job to coach at UVA I had a young woman, maybe 11, write me a letter thanking me. She said I helped her want to continue showing up to practice and try harder in swimming. I think I was only 9 months into coaching at that time and thought to myself, "I hope I can do this forever!"

RL: Singing "America the Beautiful" with the 2017 World Championships team.

JN: In 2012, we had five high school swimmers swim at the Olympic Trials. It was a journey they all started on Loveland Swim Club when they were 9 and 10 years old (with a team mantra “you can get there from here”). We took 200 swimmers and families to the meet and sat together in one section. It really emphasized the importance of team culture. 

NY: A memorable and impactful coaching moment for me was from Nationals last month and the meet that Gabriel Jett had. The reason it was impactful is because it was a showcase of his trust and confidence in himself. That is something that he has been working toward and to see it actually happen was beautiful and inspiring to watch.

What’s one word your swimmers would use to describe your coaching style?

BH: Dynamic. 

RA: They would describe me as lab scientist. I'm always trying to design the next level formula. 

HB: Passion. I’m a big data guy who’s focused on the physiology of swimming, but I’d throw all of that away for an ounce of passion. It’s what makes life meaningful and it’s the reason I love this sport. I hope I can raise the level of passion for every swimmer I coach.

CC: Supportive or personal.

RL: Passionate.

JN: Nurturing. 

NY: Comfortable and passionate. 

Just for fun, how many cups of coffee do you drink during a typical championship meet?

BH: I don't drink coffee, I drink FUEL! 

RA: I don't drink coffee unless its the only thing available. I prefer a cup of ice water over anything. 

HB: Coffee works on an exponential scale. The first day it’s 1-2 cups but that goes up each day. This is a long meet so we might see a Wilt Chamberlain 100-point performance by the last day.

CC: I'm more of a celsius or alani type... and typically it is two a day. Which is probably way more caffeine than any human needs. 

RL: ? I typically have 2 cups of coffee a day but at competitions that increases😂.

JN: I drink two cups of coffee before prelims, and one before finals (or AM/PM practices). 

NY: Championship meet or not, I will typically go through two coffees per day.