Men's Swimming and Diving
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach Men's and Women's Swimming
- Email:
- mgwestph@indiana.edu
- Phone:
- (812) 855-7015
Entering the 2019-20 season, Mike Westphal is in his sixth season as associate head coach for men's and women's swimming and his 15th season overall at Indiana. Previously, Westphal had served as the assistant head coach for men's swimming for four seasons.
Westphal is the lead coach for the men's team, concentrating on the training of the distance and middle distance group.
For the first time in school history, both the men's and women's swimming and diving teams won the Big Ten team titles in 2018-19. The men's squad won the championship for the third-straight year, while the women's team won its first Big Ten team crown since 2011. Both teams were dominant at the league championships, with the men's team winning a total of total of 24 medals – 13 gold, six silver and five bronze - and the women's team winning a total of 14 medals – seven gold, one silver and six bronze.
At the NCAA Championships, Westphal helped guide the men's team to back-to-back top-3 finishes for the first time in 44 years. The Hoosier men finished in third place, winning four NCAA Championships (Vini Lanza, 100 fly; Ian Finnerty, 100 breast; Andrew Capobianco, 3-meter; 400 medley relay) for the second-straight year. Over the course of the NCAA Championships, the Hoosiers had 13 individuals earn a total of 38 All-America honors.
Lilly King highlighted the women's team's accomplishments at the 2019 NCAA Championships, becoming the first woman in NCAA history to win eight breaststroke titles, completing her four-year sweep of the 100 and 200 breaststrokes. As a team, Indiana placed ninth overall, earning the program's fifth-straight top-10 finish and 10th top-10 in school history at the NCAA Championships.
In 2018, the Hoosier men had an unbelievable week at the NCAA Championships, finishing third overall – the best finish since 43 years. IU swimmers won three NCAA titles – the most for the program in 45 years – and IU also won the 400 medley relay title with a Big Ten record time of 3:01.07. The relay title is the first for the program since 1977, when IU also took home the championship in the 400 medley relay.
At the 2018 NCAA Women's NCAA Championships, Olympic gold medalist Lilly King won her third-straight NCAA crowns in both the 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke. Indiana became the first program in history to sweep all four NCAA titles in the breaststroke in one season.
In February of 2018, the Hoosier men captured the program's second-straight Big Ten Championship, a first for the team since winning three-straight from 1983-85. The title was the 26th in program history.
At the Big Ten Championships, IU won a total of 24 medals – 14 gold, seven silver and three bronze. Indiana also won four of the five relays at the Big Ten Championships for a second-straight year – a program first.
In 2016-17, the Indiana men claimed the program’s 25th Big Ten Championship, going wire-to-wire to earn the title. For the week, IU won a total of 19 medals – 12 gold, five silver and two bronze. Indiana also won four of the five relays at the Big Ten Championships, marking the first time in program history the team accomplished that impressive feat.
At the 2017 NCAA Championships, the Hoosiers placed seventh overall – the best finish for the team since 1979. The 229.5 points are the most for IU since scoring 274 in 1975. The top-10 finish for the Hoosiers at the NCAA Championships is the fifth in the last six years. For the second-straight season, Indiana finished as the top Big Ten team at the NCAA Championships – the best stretch for IU since accomplishing the feat for 15-straight seasons from 1964-78.
Over the course of the meet, the Hoosiers had 13 individuals earn a total of 32 All-America honors – the most in program history in 42 years since the team tallied 36 in 1975.
In 2015-16, the Hoosier men placed ninth overall at the NCAA Championships for the fourth time in the last five seasons. IU's 180.5 points were the most for the team since scoring 201 in 2013. IU finished ahead of Stanford (14th) for the first time since 1980 and Auburn (10th) for the first time since 1991.
With the ninth place finish, the Hoosiers finished as the top Big Ten team at the NCAA Championships for the first time since 1978. In total, Indiana earned 28 All-America honors at the 2016 NCAA Championships – the most for the program since 2013.
At the Big Ten Championships, IU placed second overall with a score of 1,306 points. Indiana finished in the top-3 at the Big Ten Championships for the sixth-straight season and the second place finish was the fourth for the Hoosiers in the last six years. Over the course of the conference championships, the Hoosiers racked up 14 school record swims, seven Boilermaker Aquatic Center records, 13 NCAA A cuts, 78 NCAA B cuts and 52 personal-best times.
Westphal has led the training for the distance group, with the 2012-13 season one of its most successful with a Big Ten title in the 500 freestyle and 1,650 freestyle for Lindsay Vrooman. Vrooman went on to finish fifth in the 500 freestyle and third in the 1,650 freestyle at the 2013 NCAA Championships. She posted new school records in the 500 free, 1,000 free and 1,650 free. On the men's side, Jim Barbiere took up the 1,650 free in his final season at IU, placing sixth at the Big Ten Championships and 11th at the NCAA Championships. His time of 14:54.08 at the NCAA meet set a new school record, while his 14:56.79 at Big Tens ranks second in IU history. Barbiere also posted three of the four fastest times in IU history in the 500 free during the 2012-13 season.
As a team, the 2012-13 Hoosier men finished second at the Big Ten Championships and ninth at the NCAA meet, the best finish for the Indiana men since 1980.
In 2010-11, the Indiana women captured their third-straight Big Ten title, winning individual crowns in the 200 IM (Allysa Vavra), 400 IM (Vavra), 200 butterfly (Brittany Barwegen) and the 800 free relay. The Hoosiers also took home 21 All-America certificates at the 2011 NCAA Championships.
On the men's side, Indiana tallied a second-place finish at the Big Ten meet, led by Big Ten individual titles from Eric Ress (100 backstroke) and Cody Miller (100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke). Ress set a new meet record in the 100 back (45.11), while Miller's winning time in the 200 breaststroke was the second-fastest time in school history (1:54.16).
At the NCAA meet, Ress went on to earn runner-up finishes in the 100 backstroke and 200 backstroke, and the Hoosiers took All-America honors in the 500 freestyle, 200 medley relay, 800 freestyle relay and 200 breaststroke.
In 2009-10 Westphal was part of a staff that saw the women's program win its second-straight Big Ten Championship title and third in the last four years. Kate Fesenko became the first IU female swimmer to win an NCAA individual title when she smashed the school and Big Ten record in the 200-yard backstroke. In addtion, Taylor Wohrley was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. On the men's side, Aaron Opell won the Big Ten title in the 200-yard breaststroke and went on to earn All-America honors in the event. Sprinter Bryan Chovanec was a runner-up in the 50-yard freestyle at Big Tens.
As the Hoosiers' distance coach the last seven seasons, in 2009 Westphal helped tutor Nikki White to a Big Ten title in the 500 free and placed two swimmers (Allison Kay, White) in the top-10 of the 1,650 free at the NCAA Championships. The Hoosiers took four of the top five spots in the event at the Big Ten Championships, where IU won its second team title in a three-year period.
In 2008, Westphal saw J.K. Koehler earn All-America honors in the 1,650-yard freestyle and top finishes from Alex Brunfeldt (500 free, 1,650 free) and Koehler (1,650 free) at the Big Ten Championships. Westphal also accompanied former IU distance standout Sergiy Fesenko and 2008 All-American Kate Zubkova to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China as a member of the Ukrainian coaching staff.
On the women's side, Amanda Smith made a splash at the NCAA Championships by picking up All-America honors in the 500 free (14th) after finishing second in the event at the Big Ten Championships.
In 2007, Westphal helped Koehler and Brunfeldt to top-eight finishes in the 500- and 1,650-yard freestyle at Big Tens. Koehler went on to finish 12th in the 1,650-yard freestyle at the NCAA?Championships. Emma Berry placed eighth in the 1,650-yard freestyle as the women claimed the Big Ten title in 2007.
In 2006, Westphal was a crucial component of a coaching staff that led the men's squad to its first Big Ten title in more than two decades. The men's squad also finished 12th at the NCAA?Championships in 2006, its highest finish since 1989.
Westphal mentored the most prolific distance freestyle swimmer in Indiana history in Fesenko. While only with the program for two years, Fesenko left with records in all the distance freestyle events. Fesenko eclipsed the school records for the 500-yard freestyle, 1,000-yard freestyle 1,650-yard freestyle in his first season with the Hoosiers, then broke his own marks again as a senior.
Westphal, who was an assistant for Indiana's women's team before the two programs were merged prior to the 2005-06 season, was on the deck to see Fesenko pick up two All-America certificates in 2006. After earning three citations in 2005, Fesenko followed that up with two more honorable mention nods in 2006 in the 500 free and 1,650 free.
The distance squad put three Hoosiers in the top five of the 1,650 free at the 2006 Big Ten Championships, with Fesenko, Koehler and Brunfeldt finishing second, fourth and fifth, respectively. Fesenko finished second in the 500 free.
In Westphal's second campaign with IU, the Indiana women's swimming and diving squad finished in a program-best ninth place with 112 points at the 2005 NCAA Championships.
In Westphal's first season with the Hoosiers, the women's program had 12 swimmers earn honorable mention All-America honors in some form. Indiana also took third at the Big Ten Championships with Big Ten titles in the 50-yard freestyle and 200-yard freestyle relay. IU also had what was then its third-best finish at the NCAA Championships, taking 12th with 119 points.
Westphal joined the Hoosier women's staff in July of 2003 after previously serving as the head assistant swim coach at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
At UNLV, Westphal handled recruiting duties for both the men's and women's programs, provided training programs for swimmers and managed the graduate assistants on the staff.
Prior to his stint with the Rebels, he served for two seasons (2000-02) as an assistant swim coach at the University of Pacific under Looze. In 2002, the Pacific men's and women's teams won Big West Conference titles, and the women's squad placed 15th at the NCAA Championships.
From 1999 to 2000, Westphal was the pool manager and head swim coach at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash. He was also the head coach of the Evergreen Swim Club from 1997 to 2000. Westphal began his career as the head coach at Capital High School in Olympia, where he coached from 1996 to 2000.
Westphal experienced great success as a collegiate swimmer. He was a four-time NAIA All-American from 1993-96 at Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore., and also earned Academic All-America honors as a senior in 1996. Westphal was a three-time captain (1994-96) and garnered Linfield College Athlete of the Year honors in 1995.
Westphal earned his bachelor's degree in elementary education from Linfield in 1996. He also is working towards a master's degree in sports management and athletic administration.
Westphal married the former Sarah Ewan in 2004. The couple resides in Bloomington with their daughter, Hope.
