Griffin to Take Macalester Coaching Position

Kyllian Griffin's tenure as Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Head Coach was one of the most successful eras  in program history (photo credit: Bonnie Robinson).
Kyllian Griffin's tenure as Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Head Coach was one of the most successful eras in program history (photo credit: Bonnie Robinson).

CHICAGO, Ill. – After an incredibly successful four-year run as Head Coach for men’s and women’s swimming and diving at Illinois Institute of Technology, Kyllian Griffin has stepped down from the position. He has accepted the position of Head Coach for men’s and women’s swimming and diving at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Griffin also has served as the department’s Aquatics Director and Assistant Facilities Director.

"Coaching the swimmers and divers at Illinois Tech has been the greatest privilege of my professional life,” said Griffin. “I am so proud of every student-athlete here and know that their futures are incredibly bright both in and out of the water. I am so thankful to Usha Gilmore and Marc Colwell for giving me the opportunity at Illinois Tech, and to Joe Hakes for supporting me and my team throughout the past four years."

Since Griffin’s arrival prior to the 2014-15 school year, Tech’s swimming and diving programs have grown immensely in both size and talent. A ninth place finisher in the Liberal Arts Conference (LAC) upon his arrival, Griffin has guided the women’s team to three consecutive Top 5 finishes. The team’s third place finish in 2017 was the program’s best mark for the women’s squad since 2010. On the men’s side, the Scarlet Hawks were a consistent force under Griffin and a staple near the top of the LAC meet with back-to-back third place finishes in 2017 and 2018.

Between the two teams, the Scarlet Hawks set 13 school records, had 38 individuals earn LAC All-Championship team honors, and had four NCAA Division III B-cuts achieved under Griffin. In the classroom, 29 different Tech swimmers and divers earned United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Academic All-American honors. As a team, both squads were named Scholar All-American by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) multiple times. In addition, his teams were frequently involved in community service projects and participated yearly in the Ted Mullin Hour of Power for Sarcoma Research.

“Kyllian has elevated our men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs in his time here,” said Director of Athletics Joe Hakes. “He has brought in student-athletes that have excelled in the pool and in the classroom. We wish him well in the next step in his career.”