South Lake Hospital welcomes new head swim coach to NTC Aquatics

MEDIA CONTACT

Kim Couch
352.241.7122
[email protected]

CLERMONT, Fla. — South Lake Hospital recently welcomed Don Gibb as the head coach for NTC Aquatics, which is a competitive, age-group swim program on the LiveWell South Lake Hospital Campus.

Gibb, 51, brings 28 years of club and collegiate coaching experience to NTC Aquatics. He is an American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA) Level Five coach, which is the highest level of certification.

“I am excited to join this already thriving swim team,” commented Gibb. “My goal is to continue to build upon the success of this club team and work hand in hand with our coaching staff to help our swimmers be successful in all their future endeavors.”

Gibb prior coaching experiences include serving as an assistant coach at the University of Florida, Florida State University and the University of Kentucky. He has also served as the head coach at Florida State University and the University of South Carolina. Don was twice named Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Coach-of-the-Year while at FSU (1995, 1998) and led the ‘Noles to their only top ten NCAA finish in the school’s history.

The two programs Gibb led accumulated a number of accolades. More than 112 school records were broken and he coached three NCAA champions and two runners-up. Gibb directed his athletes to 20 All-America distinctions, 38 individual conference titles, four swimmer of the year honors and 69 swimmers earned NCAA qualifying marks.

A Gibb led squad is equally impressive in the classroom. In 2006, South Carolina's women's team earned the top team grade point average in the nation with a cumulative number of 3.606.

Domestically, his swimmers have won titles at Junior Nationals, Senior Nationals and at the U.S. Open. On the international level, Gibb has guided fourteen Olympians including an Olympic finalist at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. He has also led swimmers to qualify for the Pan Pacific Games, Pan American Games and the World Championships. Additionally, his swimmers have been medalists in the Commonwealth Games.

Gibb got his start as an age grouper at age 12 in Pensacola where he swam for Olympic Coach and current Texas A&M Women’s Head Coach, Steve Bultman. He began his collegiate career at Daytona Beach Community College where he swam from 1979-81 under Bud Farmer. Don then went on to swim at the University of Florida under Olympic Coach, Randy Reese, where he became an SEC, NCAA, and U.S. Swimming champion during his time in Gainesville.

Gibb graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in psychology. He enjoys fishing, golf, and spending time with his family. Gibb and his wife, Gena, have adopted four children, Sarah, 23, Emily, 17, Hannah, 14, and son Dylan, 7. They also have a grandson, Kaysen.

About NTC Aquatics:
NTC Aquatics is a year-round, competitive age-group swim program for youth ages 4 to 18. The team is owned and operated by South Lake Hospital. There are several different groups based on age and ability and range from entry-level swimmers to Senior/National and Olympic Trial qualifiers. For more information about NTC Aquatics, please visit www.ntcaquatics.com.  

About LiveWell South Lake Hospital Campus:
The LiveWell South Lake Hospital Campus includes the 122-bed non-profit hospital, in partnership with Orlando Health, Centre for Women’s Health, LiveWell Fitness Center, National Training Center, South Lake Endoscopy Center, South Lake Surgery Center and campus partners Special Olympics Florida, Brandy Johnson Global Gymnastics and several medical office buildings. South Lake Hospital has been serving the healthcare needs of the South Lake community since 1947 and employs 1,100 employees and has more than 200 physicians on its medical staff. The campus focuses on preventative healthcare through health, sports and fitness programming. For more information, please visit www.livewellsouthlake.com.