Alex Dehner enters his second season as Assistant Coach for the Florida swimming and diving program.
In his first season, Dehner helped coach both teams to a third-place finish at their 2024 NCAA Championships. The men tallied five National Titles – 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay and three individual Titles from Josh Liendo who won the 50 Free, 100 Free and defended his title in the 100 Fly. The men’s 200 Medley Relay Team of Josh Liendo, Adam Chaney, Julian Smith and Macguire McDuff set a new NCAA, Championship Meet, U.S Open and program record on the opening night with their 1:20.15. The women won three national Titles – 800 Free Relay and two individual titles from Bella Sims in the 200 and 500 Free. The 800 Free Relay team of Sims, Isabel Ivey, Emma Weyant and Micayla Cronk won the program’s first National Title in the event since 1989. Their 6:48.59 is a program record as well as Georgia’s pool record. Overall, a combined 28 Gators earned 77 All-American honors. At the 2024 SEC Championships, Florida’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams conquered SEC Championship titles during the same season for the second-consecutive year and the tenth time in program history. Alex guided the Men’s team to their 12th consecutive SEC Championship, while the women’s team claimed their 19th conference title in school history and their first back-to-back championship title since 1996-97.
About Coach Dehner:
Coach Alex Dehner is a Floridian and a Gator through and through. He grew up in Tallahassee, FL and swam for Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club (ATAC) for 13 years. He qualified for the Senior National and Olympic Trial levels as a freestyle and backstroke specialist. Alex was the Chiles High School FHSAA Runner-Up in 2012 and a Scholastic All-American all four seasons. He earned an athletic scholarship from the University of Florida, where he swam until an unexpected medical retirement in 2015. As an athlete, Alex was an Academic All-American (2013-2014, 2014-2015) and earned SEC Honor Roll (2013-2014, 2014-2015).
After medically retiring, he served at UF as a Volunteer Assistant Coach until graduation. In 2017, with his support on deck the Gators won their 5th straight SEC title, and a 3rd place finish at NCAAs. He doubled up on coaching experience during that time, serving as local Gator Swim Club’s Head Age Group Coach and Interim Head Coach.
From Gainesville, he spent 2017-2023 in Orlando, FL, where he helped found Windermere Laker Aquatics. There, he lead the club to Bronze & Silver Medal Club status and placed 2 swimmers on the USA National Junior Team (2018, and 2023). Laker Aquatics was named an ASCA Top 100 Age Group Program in 2022, and took 3rd Place Women’s Team at Ocala Futures in 2023. Every year, he had multiple Lakers at Zone Select Camps and National Diversity Select Camps. He served on Zone Select Camp staff and attended the National Coaches Seminar 2018 and attended the National Select Camp as a home coach in 2022.
Alex is a ASCA Level IV Senior & ASCA Level IV Age Group Coach, Certified Corrective Exercise Specailist(CES), USA Weightlifting Coach, SURGE Strength Credentialed Dryland Coach, and Eagle Scout. He has two dogs, is a father to identical twin boys, a baby girl, and husband to a fellow Gator and Olympic swimmer.
