Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University has named Alec Kandt as the new assistant coach for its swim and dive program. The announcement was made by head coach Geoff Hanson, who emphasized Kandt’s qualifications and commitment to student-athletes.

"We are extremely excited to welcome Alec and his wife, Piper, to the Salukis family," said Hanson. "Throughout our search process, Alec stood out as an extremely experienced, knowledgeable, and passionate coach. His years of experience coaching in the SEC and producing NCAA qualifiers and international level swimmers is impressive. Most importantly, after speaking to a number of his former athletes and colleagues, it became clear that his commitment goes beyond the pool and that he cares deeply about student-athletes as people."

Kandt brings experience from several collegiate programs. He was previously an assistant coach at Arkansas starting in 2022. Before joining Arkansas, he worked as an assistant coach at Davenport from 2020 to 2022, contributing to multiple top-eight finishes for the men's team at the GLIAC Championships and helping the women's squad achieve a top-five finish.

His coaching background also includes serving as head master coach of East Grand Rapids Aquatics from 2018 to 2021. Earlier in his career, Kandt volunteered as an assistant coach at Florida during the 2017-2018 season, where he helped oversee the Gators' SEC Championship team. He also assisted with the Gator Swim Club during this time.

As a collegiate swimmer at Michigan State, Kandt earned recognition as Male Freshman Swimmer of the Year in 2014 and was named Male Swimmer of the Year for three consecutive years from 2015 through 2017. He competed as a Big Ten Championship Finalist and represented Michigan State at both the US Open and Olympic Trials Qualifier in 2016. During his tenure with the Spartans, Kandt set a school record in the 100-yard breaststroke.

The university encourages fans to stay updated on team news via social media platforms including X (@SIU_SwimDive), Instagram (@siu_swimdive), Facebook (facebook.com/SIUSwimDive), or by downloading the "Salukis" Mobile App on either Apple's App Store or Google Play Store.