College Swimming Recruiting Advisory · D2, D3 & NAIA
Not Just a College.
Find the Right College Experience.
College swimming recruiting is not simply about finding a roster spot. It is about identifying where your swimmer can thrive academically, athletically, financially, socially, and personally—and knowing how to evaluate the signals along the way.
Many swimmers find their best college fit at Division II, Division III, and NAIA programs, where recruiting works differently and families get far less help navigating it. That is where Coach Dan focuses.
Coach Dan Flack brings 38 years of competitive swimming coaching experience—as an NCAA Division I assistant coach and as head coach of the Baylor School program—and a perspective shaped by helping swimmers navigate recruiting from both sides of the phone.
Every family starts with a one-on-one assessment with Coach Dan, credited in full if you continue into either advisory package.
Your swimming. Your education. Your future.
- 38 YearsCompetitive swimming coaching
- ACC • Big Ten • SECNCAA Division I experience
- Baylor SchoolHead Coach, 2005–2022
- Team USA2018 Jr. Pan Pac Head Coach
- 80 College ProgramsRecruiting destinations across D1, D2, D3 & NAIA
HALL OF FAME COACH’S ENDORSEMENT
“Look nowhere else than to Dan Flack for expert advice.”
Mark Bernardino recruited Dan in 1982, when he was head coach at the University of Virginia.
Mark Bernardino
Retired College Swim Coach (48 years)
- University of Virginia
- University of South Carolina
- North Carolina State University
- American Swim Coaches Association Hall of Fame member
- International Swim Coaches Association Hall of Fame member
Over the past four decades, Coach Dan Flack has been recognized as one of the most exceptional swim coaches in the United States. Coach Flack has developed and produced swimmers who have excelled on the International, NCAA, Club and High School levels. He has been lauded for his creative and always evolving coaching mindset and intuition.
I am delighted that Dan Flack finds himself uniquely positioned to begin his quest of assisting swimmers to find “The Right Place” to swim collegiately. He was a highly recruited swimmer himself, the parent of recruited swimmers (I recruited and coached his son in college) and as a club, high school, and college coach understands the business and nuances of recruiting from every angle. Coach Dan Flack has an inside perspective on recruiting rarely if ever seen.
If you are looking for that special person to guide and advise you and your daughter or son through the recruiting process, look nowhere else than to Dan Flack for expert advice. Coach Flack knows the game of swimming and recruiting and all the players better than anyone.
Why Families Work With Coach Dan
Experience on Both Sides of the Recruiting Conversation.
College recruiting is a conversation with two ends, and Coach Dan has been on both. As an assistant coach at Georgia, North Carolina, and Penn State, he was the college coach—evaluating prospects, communicating with families, and understanding what programs look for. As head coach at Baylor School from 2005 to 2022, he was on the other end of the phone: the prep coach representing his own swimmers to college coaches and guiding their families through the decision.
That combination matters because families often have to interpret incomplete signals: which schools are realistic, what coach interest actually means, when to reach out, what to ask on visits, how to compare opportunities, and when a program is truly the right fit.
The goal is not to chase the biggest name. The goal is to make a well-informed decision your student-athlete can feel good about long after competitive swimming ends.
Relationships can open conversations. Judgment determines which conversations are worth having.
Coach Dan’s value is not a promise of admission, aid, or a roster spot. It is experienced judgment, honest feedback, recruiting strategy, preparation, and direct guidance through a complicated decision.
The College Coach’s Perspective
What a College Coach Says About Working With Dan.
“Having someone like Dan Flack who represents an athlete honestly to potential universities, while helping families understand the most advantageous market, is a formula that can create a less frustrating, more effective, and ultimately much more successful recruiting process.”
Associate Head Coach, UNLV
Honest communication with college coaches helps families see their options clearly. It does not replace fit, academics, performance, financial realities, or the college’s own decisions—and that is exactly why experienced guidance matters.
Read Dan Carrington’s full testimonial
As an NCAA swimming coach who recruits relentlessly, one of the most important relationships you can build is with the coaches who work with these athletes consistently. Those relationships develop through text messages and phone calls, but the most valuable method is through regular visits. It is during these visits that honest conversations happen—conversations that lead to truly candid feedback about both the potential student-athletes being observed and the universities being represented.
I regularly sought out opportunities to visit Dan Flack because he helped me identify athletes in future recruiting classes that I should be watching, while also helping me understand what could make those athletes genuinely interested in my university.
Dan was honest with me. He shared athletes’ expectations for their future academic interests and what they believed was important to making their collegiate swimming experience as successful as possible.
Having someone like Dan Flack who represents an athlete honestly to potential universities, while helping families understand the most advantageous market, is a formula that can create a less frustrating, more effective, and ultimately much more successful recruiting process.
— Dan Carrington, Associate Head Coach, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Recruiting Outcomes & College Reach
80 College Programs. One Goal: The Right College Experience.
Swimmers Coach Dan coached and guided through the recruiting process over his 38-year career went on to college programs across NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III, and the NAIA. The list reflects the full range of his career—not one type of swimmer or one level of program. The value is not the size of the list—it is knowing how to narrow a wide college landscape to the opportunities that fit one student-athlete.
The destinations span major conferences, highly selective universities, service academies, national championship programs, and schools where the right opportunity was defined by fit rather than division label.
- Stanford
- Princeton
- Harvard
- Yale
- Florida State
- Virginia
- California
- Texas
- North Carolina
- Georgia
- Michigan
- Ohio State
- Johns Hopkins
- Bowdoin
- Emory
- Denison
- Kenyon
- Naval Academy
- Air Force Academy
- Rollins
Breadth matters only when it leads to better targeting.
A swimmer may be a strong fit at several very different colleges. Coach Dan helps families compare athletic opportunity, academics, geography, school size, team role, culture, coaching stability, and financial realities before deciding where to invest time and attention.
The objective is not to produce the longest school list. It is to identify the right group of schools and understand what to do next.
Where does your swimmer fit?
Start with a Recruiting Assessment. We will look at your swimmer’s performance, academics, goals, timeline, and college priorities and begin narrowing the market.
Start Your Recruiting AssessmentNCAA Division I — 55 Programs
- Air Force
- Auburn University
- Bellarmine University
- Davidson College
- Florida State University
- George Washington University
- Georgetown University
- Georgia Southern University
- Georgia Tech
- Harvard University
- Lafayette College
- Liberty University
- Marist University
- Marshall University
- Miami University (Ohio)
- NC State University
- Northwestern University
- University of Notre Dame
- Ohio State University
- Ohio University
- Pepperdine University
- Princeton University
- Providence College
- St. Bonaventure University
- Stanford University
- Texas A&M University
- UCLA
- United States Naval Academy
- University of Alabama
- University of Arizona
- University of California, Berkeley
- University of Georgia
- University of Florida
- University of Idaho
- University of Kansas
- University of Kentucky
- University of Louisville
- University of Maryland
- University of Miami
- University of Michigan
- University of Nebraska
- University of North Carolina
- UNC Wilmington
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Rhode Island
- University of Southern California
- University of South Carolina
- University of Tennessee
- University of Texas
- University of Virginia
- Vanderbilt University
- Virginia Tech
- William & Mary
- Xavier University
- Yale University
NCAA Division II — 10 Programs
- Carson-Newman University
- Catawba College
- Emory & Henry University
- Florida Southern College
- King University
- Mars Hill University
- Nova Southeastern University
- Queens University of Charlotte
- Rollins College
- University of Tampa
NCAA Division III — 14 Programs
- Berry College
- Bowdoin College
- Centre College
- Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
- Denison University
- Emory University
- Grove City College
- Grinnell College
- Johns Hopkins University
- Kenyon College
- Rhodes College
- Sewanee: The University of the South
- Trinity University (Texas)
- University of Rochester
NAIA — 1 Program
- University of the Cumberlands
College destinations reflect recruiting outcomes involving swimmers Coach Dan coached and guided through the recruiting process. They do not imply admission, scholarship, roster placement, or endorsement by any institution.
What Families Are Really Trying to Solve
Recruiting Gets Expensive When Families Misread the Situation.
01 • TARGETING
Are we looking at the right programs?
Separate realistic opportunities from wish lists and identify schools that make sense across swimming, academics, location, size, culture, and cost.
02 • SIGNALS
How interested is the coach—really?
Understand communication, roster needs, recruiting timelines, and what questions need to be asked before assumptions become decisions.
03 • TIMING
Are we early, on time, or late?
Rosters, scholarship rules, and transfer activity keep shifting, and Division I roster caps are pushing more swimmers toward D2, D3, and NAIA programs, so guidance has to reflect today’s market. Starting late is not the end of the road—it just changes the plan.
04 • DECISION
What are we overlooking?
Evaluate visits, team role, coaching environment, academic fit, financial considerations, and life beyond the pool before committing.
Free Parent Briefing · October 2026
Beyond Division I: What Swim Parents Need to Know About D2, D3 and NAIA Recruiting.
Division I roster caps are sending more strong swimmers to Division II, Division III, and NAIA programs. Coach Dan’s free three-page briefing explains how each level really works, in plain language, so your family knows what to ask and when.
- Where the money comes from. Partial athletic scholarships in D2 and NAIA, and academic and need-based aid in D3.
- When coaches can reach out. Contact and visit rules for each level, including the June 15 date for Division II.
- What signing means. The written offer in D2, the non-binding celebration in D3, and why NCAA signings don’t apply in the NAIA.
- Plus a side-by-side chart and a five-step fall action list.
Get the Free Briefing
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Want help building the right school list for your swimmer? Start with a Recruiting Assessment.
A Parent’s Perspective
Sam Pugh, one of our families
Senior Year. A Late Start. Was It Too Late?
Most families assume the window has closed by senior year. The Pughs weren’t sure either.
“Our son Sam began the college recruiting process late in his senior year. Dan immediately developed a game plan, personally contacted college coaches on Sam’s behalf, prepared him for conversations and meetings, and then debriefed with him afterward. Dan followed up with every coach and helped us understand where genuine opportunities existed.”
The result: Sam received an offer for a team spot and accepted. Today he’s at Rollins College, growing as a swimmer, student and leader.
“Dan Flack didn’t just give us advice — he gave our family a plan and helped Sam navigate the process every step of the way.”
The Pughs’ path started with a plan. Yours starts with a 30-minute assessment.
Start Your Assessment
I’ve given that advice to dozens of families, and I’ve needed it myself as a parent. Twice.
Sam Flack, my son
I’ve Been a Parent in This Process, Too.
I know college recruiting not only from the coaching side of the table. I have lived it as a parent through two very different experiences. Sam Flack, my son, was highly recruited and had multiple college opportunities; he now swims at NC State University. My stepdaughter, Ellie, began the process late in her senior year, when the timeline was shorter and the available options had to be evaluated quickly and realistically; she now swims at George Washington University.
Those two experiences reinforced something I had already learned through decades of coaching: there is no single recruiting path that fits every student-athlete. A family can have more attention than it knows how to evaluate, or it can feel as though time is running out. In either situation, the process works best when everyone stays focused on the individual swimmer rather than the noise around recruiting.
Parents have an important role. You help establish priorities, understand the financial picture, ask questions, recognize concerns, and support a major life decision. My role is to give your family perspective, help you interpret what is happening, and make sure the right questions are being asked. But neither the parent nor the advisor should become the center of the process.
Your swimmer remains the focus.
Their goals. Their academic interests. Their swimming level and desired role on a team. The environment in which they will live, learn, train, compete, build relationships, and grow over the next four years. The goal is not simply to get your swimmer recruited. It is to help your student-athlete make a college decision they understand, believe in, and can truly own.
The First Step
The College Swimming Recruiting Assessment
Led personally by Coach Dan Flack: 38 years coaching, recruiter on the college side at ACC, Big Ten and SEC programs, and a parent who has been through D1 recruiting twice.
Don’t buy a package before we understand your swimmer’s situation. Every family begins with a focused assessment designed to establish where your swimmer stands and what the next steps should be.
- Work through Coach Dan’s 5 Key Questions, then review current swimming performance, academics, goals, and recruiting timeline.
- Discuss college-fit priorities and potential target-school direction.
- Identify missing information, risks, and the most important next actions.
- Clarify what level of recruiting support—if any—makes sense next.
What You Leave With
- A clear read on where your swimmer realistically stands in today’s recruiting market.
- A starting direction for target schools across Division II, Division III, NAIA, and Division I.
- A prioritized list of next steps for the coming 60–90 days.
- An honest recommendation on whether further support makes sense—including when the answer is no.
This is a paid diagnostic, not a generic sales call.
Your First Step
See If We’re a Fit
A focused 30-minute, one-on-one session with Coach Dan. You leave with a clear read on your swimmer, a starting school list, and a 60–90 day plan, whether or not you continue with us.
Start Your AssessmentSee pricing and what’s included
Still deciding? Read how the Pugh family found a path when recruiting started late in senior year
Choose a time that works for you. Your assessment is confirmed once scheduling and payment are complete. Recruiting guidance is advisory; results depend on your swimmer and the colleges involved. See our Refund & Cancellation Policy.
A Clear Process
Five Stages. One Individualized Decision.
For more than three decades, I have started the recruiting conversation with five key questions. They move the process away from simply asking, “What colleges can I swim for?” and toward the more important question: “What college experience is right for me?” The answers establish the swimmer’s priorities early—before rankings, coach interest, visits, or offers begin to create noise—and give us a clear starting point for building an individualized recruiting strategy while keeping the student-athlete at the center of every decision. The five stages below build from those answers.
- 01
Assessment
Begin with Coach Dan’s 5 Key Questions, then assess performance, academics, goals, timeline, and the swimmer’s current recruiting position.
- 02
College-Fit Strategy
Narrow the search around athletic, academic, personal and financial fit.
- 03
Communication
Prepare for and navigate college-coach outreach and conversations.
- 04
Visits & Offers
Prepare, observe, ask better questions, debrief and compare.
- 05
Final Decision
Evaluate the complete college experience before choosing.
Trusted by USA Swimming
USA Swimming Trusted Coach Dan Flack With Some of America’s Future Olympic Hopefuls.
Four Team USA coaching selections, including Head Coach of the 2018 U.S. Junior Pan Pacific Championships Team.
At the national level, opportunities like these are not handed out casually. USA Swimming selected Coach Dan Flack four times to serve on Team USA coaching staffs, including as Head Coach of the 2018 U.S. Junior Pan Pacific Championships Team.
Those teams included some of the country’s most promising young swimmers—athletes pursuing international success and, for many, the long-term goal of representing the United States at the Olympic Games. USA Swimming was confident enough in Dan’s knowledge, judgment, leadership, and ability to work with elite athletes that it entrusted those swimmers to his care as both a head coach and an assistant coach.
That matters to a family navigating college recruiting because recruiting decisions require many of the same qualities: sound judgment, honest evaluation, perspective under pressure, an understanding of individual athletes, and the ability to see beyond a single performance or a single opportunity.
Credibility is not simply a list of coaching positions. It is the level of responsibility other respected leaders in the sport have been willing to place in your hands.
When USA Swimming selected Dan for national-team leadership, it was placing trust in his ability to evaluate athletes, communicate clearly, make difficult decisions, and help young people perform in high-pressure environments. That same experience now benefits families who need an experienced voice helping them evaluate one of the most important decisions of a student-athlete’s life.
“Dan thinks differently. He challenges assumptions, communicates with purpose, and helps teams and individuals move forward with confidence.”
“Working with Dan at USA Swimming was one of the clearest examples I’ve seen of what elite leadership and practical coaching expertise look like in action. When I served as National Junior Team Director, I selected Dan to serve as Head Coach for the 2018 Junior Pan Pac Team because of his exceptional leadership, deep coaching knowledge, and unique ability to solve problems under pressure.”
Former USA Swimming National Junior Team DirectorHead Coach, Brown University Women’s Swimming & Diving
Experience That Changes the Conversation
Enough Credibility to Establish Trust. Not a Résumé Dump.
NCAA Division I
Assistant coach at Georgia (1999 NCAA women’s champions), North Carolina, and Penn State—one of a very select few coaches to coach an ACC, Big Ten, and SEC conference champion.
Head Coach, Baylor School
Led the Baylor School program in Chattanooga from 2005 to 2022: 22 high school state championships, 120+ All-Americans, five national high school records, 15 Olympic Trials qualifiers, and an Olympian.
USA Swimming
Four Team USA coaching selections, including Head Coach of the 2018 U.S. Junior Pan Pacific Championships Team.
Champions at Every NCAA Level
Swimmers Coach Dan coached and guided through recruiting have produced individual NCAA champions at Division I, II, and III.
Every Level of the Sport
Experience spanning age-group, high school/club, NCAA, national, international, and Olympic-level athletes.
Pricing
Start With the Assessment. Continue Only If It Makes Sense.
Step One · Every Family
College Swimming Recruiting Assessment
The same first step that gave the Pugh family their plan, and took Sam from a late senior-year start to a team spot at Rollins College.
Your full $295 is credited toward Personalized Recruiting Advisory or Premier Full-Service Recruiting if your family enrolls.
- A realistic read on where your swimmer stands in today’s recruiting market
- Starting target-school direction across D1, D2, D3 and NAIA
- A prioritized 60–90 day action plan
- An honest recommendation on next steps, even when the answer is “you don’t need me”
Choose a time, then complete payment to confirm. See our Refund & Cancellation Policy.
Two Levels of Continuing Support
You do not need to choose a package before your assessment. If ongoing help makes sense, you can choose the level of support that matches your family’s needs.
Stay Actively Involved
Personalized Recruiting Advisory
$295 assessment credit → $1,200 remaining. Pay in full or 3 × $400.
- Personalized recruiting strategy
- School targeting and fit guidance
- College-coach communication support
- Ongoing recruiting counsel
- Program and opportunity evaluation
- Conversation and visit preparation
Highest Level of Personal Support
Premier Full-Service Recruiting
$295 assessment credit → $3,200 remaining. Pay in full or 4 × $800.
- Personalized strategy and college targeting
- Direct college-coach communications and outreach
- Detailed conversation and visit preparation
- Phone/text access during scheduled visits for time-sensitive questions
- Post-visit debriefing and evaluation
- Offer/opportunity and final-decision guidance
Premier enrollment is limited each recruiting season because every family works directly with Coach Dan. Payment schedules and terms are confirmed in writing at enrollment. No outcome—admission, aid, or roster spot—is guaranteed.
Life Beyond the Pool
Because Your Swimming Career Has a Finish Line. Your Future Doesn’t.
The right college should challenge your student-athlete, open doors, create relationships, and provide an environment to grow as a student, athlete, and person. The ultimate goal is a complete and fulfilling college experience.
Free Recruiting Timeline
Not ready for the assessment yet? Start with the free recruiting timeline.
The College Swimming Recruiting Timeline is a year-by-year PDF guide from 9th through 12th grade: what to do, and when, so your family does not lose valuable time.
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Contact Coach Dan
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