Coaches

Coaching Staff
Devin Murphy Head Coach
Coach Devin began his swimming career when he was five years old, chasing his older siblings down the pool in his local summer rec league.  That summer sparked a love for the sport that has seen him grow from coaching 10 & under swimmers all the way to working with Olympic Gold medalists.  
 
As a Head Club Coach, Devin has seen success with every group.  As the Lead Site Coach for Pipeline in Tampa, Florida Devin coached multiple High School State Champs, Individual Age Group High Point winners, Pro Series and National Qualifiers, and had 16 swimmers in the Florida Top 10 list for their individual events.  Several of Coach Devin’s swimmers have gone on to swim at the Division I, II and III levels.
 
At the Collegiate level Devin gained experience coaching some of the top athletes from the US and around the world.  While earning his Masters Degree in Business Administration with a focus in Sports Management, Devin coached Saint Leo University as a graduate assistant.  With his guidance Saint Leo broke 30 team records, achieved 26 NCAA B Standards, 3 All-American honors (top 8 in the country) and 10 Honorable Mention All-Americans (top 16 in the country).  As Head Coach of Malone University the pioneers achieved 62 record breaking swims, 20 NCAA B Standards, and were ranked as high as 7th in the nation on the men’s side.
 
Most recently, Devin has been the Head Coach for The Race Club in Islamorada, Florida.  As a private technique coach for some of the best swimmers in the world, including Olympic medalists, Devin has gained notoriety in the swimming world for his part in developing the science-based methodologies that make The Race Club the preeminent destination for swimmers looking for help with their technique.  Utilizing tools such as Velocity Meters, Pressure Meters, Drag Meters and Smart Paddle technology, Devin and Technical Director Gary Hall Sr, have changed the way many swimmers and coaches view technique.  Coach Devin and Dr. Hall even Co-Authored a book called “Fundamentals of Fast Swimming” to publish their findings.  
Lynnette Hudnell Head Age Group Coach

Starting her swimming career at age 4, Coach Lynnette was the swimmer who refused to wear goggles. Since then, she has rarely left the pool deck. A self proclaimed aquatic nerd, Coach Lynnette is dedicated to being a student of the sport of swimming. Her varied experiences as Aquatics Director, NCAA volunteer assistant at the DII level, and 15 years of club coaching experience have enhanced her expertise and has allowed her to share her passion for swimming. 

As an age group coach, Coach Lynnette has experience with every age and every level of swimmer.  Lynnette has coached National Age Group record holders, Florida and Ohio High School State champs, Florida Gold Coast individual and group high point champs, Junior Olympic combine team first place finishes, and has coached multiple Florida Gold Coast All-Star teams.  She has a proven track record of success at every level.

Most recently, from 2016-2019 with South Florida Aquatic Club, Coach Lynnette led the 13-14 boys and girls to winning their individual, group and combined team champs meets with an undefeated season.  During this time Lynnette attended the National Age Group Coaching Convention at the Olympic Training Center; an honor that is given to the top 100 age group programs in the United States.

From 2019-2021 in the role of Head Age Group Coach at Gulliver Swim Club, Coach Lynnette’s 11-12 Girls won their age group at Florida Gold Coast JOs in 2019 and defended this title again in 2020. Lynnette was also active in the Florida Gold Coast LSC by coaching the 13-14 Girls at the Florida All Star meet in 2019 and 2020. 

Saxon Simpson Assistant Coach

Saxon comes to KYA from State College, Pennsylvania, where he was Head Age Group Coach of Nittany Lion Aquatic Club (NLAC) during the 2021-22 short and long course seasons. While at NLAC, Saxon oversaw consistent growth throughout NLAC's 12&U program, including coaching multiple Middle Atlantic Junior Olympic and 10&U Championship qualifiers and finalists. Saxon also served as an assistant coach for the State College High School swim team during the 2021-22 season, helping the Little Lions to a district title as well as Top 13 finishes for both the men's and women's teams at PIAA 3A Swimming & Diving Championships.

Prior to his time in Pennsylvania, Saxon coached in Dallas, Texas, where he was an Age Group and Senior coach at Lakeside Aquatic Club (LAC) from 2016-2021. At LAC, Saxon coached multiple Texas Age Group State Championship (TAGs) individual qualifiers and finalists, helping LAC to three TAGs team championships along the way. Saxon also coached multiple North Texas Championship qualifiers, finalists, and individual event winners while at LAC. 

Saxon began coaching in 2013 at Sharks Aquatic Club in Shelby, NC and was named Head Coach in 2014.  While at the Sharks, Saxon coached several athletes who qualified for Age Group Champs, Senior Champs, and a Junior National qualifier. Saxon also served as Gardner-Webb University's Volunteer Assistant Coach in 2015 and 2016.  

Saxon has a lifetime connection to swimming, both as a swimmer and a coach.  The son of two competitive swimmers and swim coaches, Saxon began his competitive swimming career at the age of 7 and continued all the way through college, where he competed for four years at Gardner-Webb University and was a finalist at CCSA Championships.

Saxon has a BA in English and a Masters in Sports Science and Pedagogy from Gardner-Webb University.  He enjoys photography, card games, and cheering for the Braves, Seahawks and ‘Noles.  Besides his love for swimming, he also enjoys baseball, football and basketball. Saxon is married to April Simpson and the couple reside in Georgetown, KY with their daughter Ava Jo (2).

Alev Lunsford Assistant Coach

My name is Alev Lunsford.  I am originally from Istanbul, Turkey and I started my swimming career at age 7 with the Galatasaray Swim Club.  At age 12 I received a full scholarship from Elite Enka Swim Team.  I swam in the Junior Nationals in Turkey.  I also worked for TED Club teaching age group swimming.  It was a blessing when I received an opportunity from the University of Kentucky to come to the United States.  I do early age snorkel training starting at age 3.5 and I also do stroke, start and turn clinics.  I graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelors in Science degree in Mathematics in 2001.  I also worked in Fayette County Public School System as a Math Teacher a & worked 13 years in the Ba king industry for Chase, BB&T, and PNC.  I am a certified swim coach and official.  Kentucky has been a blessing for me and my family.