Coaching Staff

The Birmingham (YMCA) Blue Dolphins began well over thirty years ago with parent-volunteer coaches in public school pools in Birmingham. In 1968, the YMCA built a pool which gave the team a home. As the team evolved a coach was hired and the team began to grow into the powerhouse it is today.

The team has achieved a size which allows it to conduct its workouts by age groups assuring that each swimmer has his/her developmental needs addressed under the guidance of experienced coaches. The coaching staff is made up of new and seasoned coaches, many of whom were BBD swimmers themselves.

Kevin has been the head coach of BBD for over twenty years. Under his tenure, the team has grown from under one hundred to over three hundred swimmers and has won numerous local, state, zone, and national titles and set several national records. Kevin was named the Michigan (US) Coach of the Year for Twelve and Unders in 1992, and the YMCA National Coach of the Year in 1999. Kevin holds a bachelor’s degree in English Education and a Master’s in Curriculum and Teaching, and is currently working on a Master’s in Administration all from Michigan State. He received the Excellence in Teaching Award twice from the Cranbrook Schools during his time there. He is currently the Director of Curriculum at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Bloomfield Hills as well as the head coach of the Orchard Lake Country Club Blue Carp swimming team.

Mike is beginning his eleventh season as a coach for BBD and is the Head Senior Group coach. Mike swam at Groves High School from 1990-94, and at the Beverly Hills Athletic Club from 1987-94. He was head coach for Beverly Hills Athletic Club from 1998-2004 where he lead his team from a 12th place finish in 1998, to as high as 5th place in 2002. Mike was one of two coaches from Michigan to attend the 1998 National Age Group Coaches Conference at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado. In 2002, Mike was recognized by Swimming World Magazine for having multiple top four finishers at the YMCA National Swim Meet. He has coached four YMCA National Champions and nine High School State Champions.

Karen is beginning her twelfth year at BBD. She has coached at every level of our program, from the eight and under age group to the national team. She also coached at the Detroit Yacht club from 1995-2000. She is a graduate of Western Michigan University, where she earned a B.A. in Elementary Education. She earned an M.A. in curriculum and teaching from Michigan State University. Currently, Karen is in her eighth year of teaching at Cranbrook Kingswood Boys’ Middle School, where she teaches sixth grade science. Karen was an age group swimmer for the Royal Oak Penguins and the Pleasant Ridge Piranhas.

Pat is a BBD alum and has coach BBD for the past 14 seasons. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and the owner of Deighan Painters Inc. He is married to Katie and they make their home in Birmingham. Pat and Katie have twin girls, Alexis and Haley and a son, Luke. In addition to his ten years with us, Pat has coached locally at Village Athletic Club. While he lived in Georgia, he worked at Dynamo and the Country Club of the South. Pat is also a distinguished marathon runner. He has finished fourth in his age group in the Free Press marathon and he has been a qualifier for the Boston Marathon. Pat’s brothers, Chris, Matt, and James have also been BBD coaches and swimmers. His brother, Joe, and his sister, Caroline, were BBDers as well.

This is Shaun Dunning’s first season coaching for the Birmingham Blue Dolphins. Shaun is a graduate of Henry Ford High School where he swam and was captain of the swim team. He was a very accomplished swimmer and received many medals competing in the city championships. Shaun was also invited to compete in national competitions located in cities such as Washington DC, North Carolina, and Atlanta where he won numerous awards. His WSI, LGI certifications give him added knowledge in aquatics as well as his 2 1/2 years experience coaching both at high school and age group levels. Shaun’s ability to communicate with swimmers of all ages and his focus on technique and hard work make him an excellent addition to the BBD coaching staff. He is currently pursuing a career in criminal justice at Wayne State University.

Catherine returns to BBD this season for a third season. She is a graduate of Western Michigan University with a Bachelors degree. Catherine has been involved in swimming programs since she was 10 years old. Her swimming career began as a member of the Pleasant Ridge swim team, Ferndale Barracudas, Mercy High School and the Western Michigan University swim team. Catherine's experience is deep, coaching and managing swimmers from pre-team to the high school level for 10 years. During the school year, she works with middle school students at Ferndale Middle School, assisting in the developmental reading and study skills programs. Her three boys have all been involved in competitive swimming programs.

Phil came to Michigan after graduating from Napa High School when he was recruited by Oakland University. While a swimmer at OU, he was an NCAA Division 2 qualifier. He graduated with a B.A. in Communications. He has coached at BBD since 1992, and at Orchard Lake Country Club since 1993. Along the way, he was the aquatic director at the Birmingham Family YMCA. He is now employed by LaSalle Electric. Phil is married to Stefanie (who is an excellent diving coach) and is the father of Kaden and Gabriel of the BBD team.

Parker is beginning his second season as an assistant at BBD. He began his swimming career at the age of seven at Pleasant Ridge. He has also represented Poseidon and YPAC. At YPAC he was a national qualifier. Parker has served as an assistant at Pleasant Ridge and is currently employed by the Michigan Catholic Credit Union.

This is Anne’s fifth season with BBD. She swam (and set records) for Seaholm High School from 1995-1998 and with the Oakland Live Y’ers from 1997-2000. Anne went on to Indiana University’s swimming program where she was a two-time Honorable Mention All-American, a two-time Academic All-American and a co-captain of a Big Ten Championship team in 2003. Anne spent six summers assisting the Forest Hills Water Hogs of the NSSL league. Currently, Anne works full-time for Oakland University’s Athletic Department as their Compliance Coordinator, in charge of eligibility and academics for student-athletes. In addition to her degree from Indiana, Anne has a Master’s in Athletic Administration from Wayne State University.