Head Coach: Donald Spellman

Coach Don is a four time Iowa Swimming Inc. Age-Group Coach of the Year and four time Senior Coach of the Year award winner. Don has served on Team Iowa Coaching staffs at Midwest All-Stars and Central Zones Championship meets 11 times. Don has worked with 47 athletes that went on to swim in college (at NAIA and NCAA affiliated institutions) and 61 Iowa High School State Meet Qualifiers, 7 IGHSAU / IHSAA State Champions (who earned 16 state championships titles), 11 NISCA High School All-Americans, and trained 12 athletes who went on to compete at the USA Olympic Swimming Trials (2000, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2021). Coach Spellman is the former Head Coach of the Iowa City Eels Swim Club (Sept. 1998 to Aug. 2020) and the Des Moines Swimming Federation (Sept. 2020 to Aug. 2021).

Don was a member of the Univ. of Nevada - Las Vegas men's team, WDM Dowling (IA) High School, Perry (IA) High School, Des Moines Swimming Federation swim teams, and a former Iowa City Eels (Masters team) swimmer. During his competitive age-group years Don qualified for mulitple Central Zones Championships (earning 2 bronze medals and other Top 16 finishes) and Junior National competitions (in BR, IM, and relay events). Don was a five time silver medalist, three time bronze medalist, and 11 time Top 8 finisher at United States Masters Swimming (USMS) National Championships (BR, FL, and IM events). Coach Don has served as IASI Technical Planning Chairperson, IASI Senior Vice-Chairperson, IASI Junior Coach Representative, IASI Senior Coach Representative, President of the Iowa Swimming Coaches Association, currently serves as the IASI Diversity and Inclusion Chairperson. and is a multi year delegate to USA Swimming Conventions. Don has also been a coaching staff member for Central Zone Diversity camps and IASI sponsored swimming clinics. In 2020 Coach Don was awarded the USA-Swimming / Phillips 66 Service Award by Iowa Swimming Inc. for his dedication with helping with the governance side of the sport. 

Coach Don lives in Iowa City with his wife, Emily, and his twin daughters (Anna & Grace) who are currently students at the University of Iowa. In his spare time Don enjoys mountain biking (especially singletrack and downhill), attending live music events, traveling, reading poetry and biographies, chilling out at home with his pet african dwarf frogs, spending time with family, collecting vintage vinyl records, compact discs, vintage Star Wars toys, and building / rebuilding bicycles. 

Email: [email protected] 

Asst. Coach: Hollye Gutierrez

Hollye grew up swimming in the Quad Cities area for USA Swimming clubs in Bettenforf, Davenport, and Pleasant Valley. She was an IGHSAU state qualifier in relays for Bettendorf High School while specializing in the FR and BK events. Some major moments for her competitive development was when she won the 100 Fly and 100 Back at the JV MAC Conference Championships while in high school. Hollye's mother was also a part time swim club coach as her and her twin sister (Valerie) started to pursue the sport more seriously. Hollye has an extensive background in teaching swim lessons (and has been a registered USA Swimming coach for 3 years. She is currently a member of the Coe College swim team while studying Kinesiology and Spanish.

Away from the pool and the classroom, Hollye enjoys listening to country music, reading fiction (especially books by Colleen Hoover), hiking, paddle boarding, walking her dog, and racing triathlons. 

Asst. Coach: Valerie Gutierrez

Valerie started the sport at age 5 in the Quad Cities area swimming for USAS clubs in Bettendorf, Davenport, and Pleasant Valley.  She was an IGHSAU state qualifier in the relays while specializing in FR and FL events (making the podium in 5th place in the 200 Free Relay for the Bulldogs as a junior). She is currently a member of the Coe College swim team while majoring in Kinesiology with the aim to study Athletic Training at the Univ. of Iowa after graduation. She has been a club swim coach for 3 years (along with her twin sister, Hollye, who is also her teammate at Coe College). Her love of the sport, her competitive nature, and the encouragement from her mother (who is also a certified USAS coach) lead her into club coaching. Valerie is also a certfifed lifeguard and swim lessons instructor.  

Away from the pool and the classroom, Valerie enjoys listening to country music, line dancing, waterskiing, and hanging out with family and friends. She is also a fan of the "Outer Banks" book series