Dave Bentz - Head Coach
Even though most know Coach Dave as a swimming coach, he began his relationship with the swimming world in the water. Swimming in high school, Dave found success in the 200 and 500 yard freestyle that took him to the University of Minnesota. Before graduating with a degree in physical education and child psychology, Dave had already started making his mark as a coach. He not only helped start the ABC Aquatic Club (Anoka, Blaine, and Coon Rapids), Dave also became manager and assistant coach at the Olympic Training Center (OTC). While working at the OTC, he gained invaluable experience working with multiple Olympians and Olympic coaches – notably George Haines, a seven-time coach of the Olympic team.
Dave took his knowledge of swimming and became head coach of the Bloomington Aquatic Club, and within his six-years turned the Bloomington Aquatic Club around from a struggling club to a championship program. Next, Dave was part of one of the first ever coach owned clubs in Minnesota: Marauder Aquatic Club, winning age group titles, sending athletes to junior nationals, senior nationals, and the Olympic trials. With that level of success, it’s no surprise that Dave was recruited to coach at the newly opened University of Minnesota Natatorium with the Gopher Swim Club; his success continued with him sending swimmers to senior nationals, and taking one athlete from the state to the world level.
After an attempted retirement from the swimming world, the siren song of swimming brought Dave back to once again coach at Northern Lights Aquatics (formerly ABC Aquatic). Dave went on to found our Great Wolf Swim Team in 2004 and once again found himself master of rapid success, coaching athletes to achieve: state records, national records, Olympic trial qualifiers, NCAA individual titles, and a 13-year old NCAA record.
We are honored to have David Bentz as our founder, head coach, and living testimony of our mission to help all swimmers maximize their potential.
Contact Dave at: [email protected] or 612-328-2463.
Jason Smith - Head Age Group Coach, Head Senior Coach
Coach Jason has been coaching club and high school swimming since the late '90s. As a swimmer, he found national-level success where he swam Backstroke, Breaststroke, and IM events. Some of his highlights include winning USA Junior Nationals in the 200 backstroke, placing top 16 at US Nationals in both backstroke events, selected to multiple US Olympic Developmental Camps at Colorado Springs, 4-time Oregon High School state record holder in the 100 back, as well as back to back state champion in both 100 Back and 100 Breast in his Junior and Senior years. Jason swam for the University of Florida and then later transferred to the University of Minnesota where he graduated with a BS in Sport Management. He has been trained and mentored by some of the world’s best swim coaches.
Some of Jason’s coaching highlights include:
- Coaching 5 athletes to National Age Group Top 10 times
- Coaching several athletes to NCSA and USA Junior Nationals
- MSHSL 5AA Section Coach of the Year
- Coaching athletes to several High School All American Times
- Several State and Central Zone Champions as well as state record holders.
- Has coached 6 swimmers selected to attend USA Swimming Central Zone Select Camp
- 4-time lead coach for the Minnesota Zone Team
Jason’s coaching philosophy is based on providing meaningful experiences to his athletes while enhancing their skills and values in life through sports. He emphasizes kicking, technique, and IM training which allows individuals to develop into well-rounded athletes. He believes that in order for an athlete to realize their full potential, they must master both the mental and physical sides of the sport.
Contact Jason at: [email protected] or 952-855-2120.
Coach Tracy grew up in the Twin Cities swimming for the Mounds View Swim Club and swam at Mounds View High School. She attended college at UW-Green Bay and competed on the Nordic ski team there. After college, Tracy moved to Wausau, WI where she coached both swimming and Nordic skiing for the Wausau School District. In addition, she coached age group swimmers with the WYNS swim club in Wausau. Tracy resides in the NW metro with her husband and three swimmers.
Contact Tracy at: 715-302-5689.
Katie Smith - Age Group Lead Coach
Katie's first job was teaching swim lessons and lifeguarding at Jackson Pool. Kaite graduated from the University of Minnesota, with a degree in Kinesiology. Even though her professional career has her working as a Human Resources Manager, her heart (and that sweet fragrance of chlorine) always draws her back to the pool. After college, she swam masters for Twin Cities. She was an assistant swim coach for Champlin Park HS and now she enjoys coaching with WOLF. She has coached the Pups, Trackers, Hunters and Alpha groups. Katie loves to see swimmers work hard to achieve their goals and believes that great swimmers need to focus on both sides of the sport - the mental and the physical.
Katie resides in Dayton with her husband Jason, and kids Kylie, Calvin and Cameron. WOLF feels like family, beacuse it is!
Contact Katie at [email protected] or 612-644-0904.
John Thomas - Age Group Lead Coach
Coach John began swimming at St. Paul Highland Park High School. In the short time there he qualified and placed in the state meet. Upon graduation he attended GustavusAdolphusCollege, where he practiced in one of the last 20 yard pool in the state (with no goggles because they had not been invented). In his junior year he became the MIAC champion in the 50 free.
Graduating with a degree in health and physical education, he went on to teach and coach at Burnsville High School and work with the local AAU team. During his first season, one of his high school boys finaled in the 50 and 100 free at the state meet. A few years later one of the boys on his club team became the first high school swimmer to break 2 minutes in the 200 IM. Deciding it was time to move on, he went to the Mounds View Swim Club where he coached Dave Bentz (Coach Dave). After a couple of years, John retired from swimming to pursue other endeavors and raise a family. A short time later he got bit by the coaching bug, getting back into it at the Bloomington Aquatic Club with Coach Dave. While there he returned to high school coaching with Edina Girls team. During his 5 year tenure, they won the state meet 3 times, he was named coach of the year, one of his swimmer won 4 consecutive 100 butterfly championships, and another broke the national high school record in the 100 breast. After Bloomington he moved to the Marauder Aquatic Club where he helped that team win a state age group championship. (Shortly after his departure one of his boys broke the high school butterfly record that still stands). In 2010 John became the summer program director and head swimming coach of the University Club in St. Paul. Shortly after, he and Dave, once again connected, becoming a coach on the Great Wolf Swim Team. John is now back at Great Wolf after a couple of years and we are so happy to have him back!
John’s looking forward to taking all the swimmers to a place they never thought possible. It's all about finding a way no one ever imagined. He builds great confidence in his swimmers through insistence on proper technique and race strategy.
Nikki Wahl - Age Group Lead Coach
Coach Nikki has been swimming her whole life, many would describe her as a “fish”. Competitive swimming became her main sport in high school. She swam the 200 IM, 100 Butterfly, the 200 Medley relay, 200 Free relay and 400 Free relay. Nikki started coaching for Great Wolf in 2018 at Jackson Middle School with the Pups and Trackers teams. Her greatest joy is seeing many of her former swimmers, now leveled up or on high school teams, using the skills that she taught them.
Nikki recently finished her Masters of Education at the University of St. Thomas. She is a Special Education teacher in the Anoka Hennepin school district. Her coaching philosophy is a mix of skill development/ refinement and strengthening endurance.
Casey Mork - Dryland Coach
After graduating high school, she continued her passion for running as a member of the cross-country and track and field teams for Minnesota State University Mankato. She qualified for the MN Army Marathon Team and ultimately qualified for the All Guard Marathon Team, consisting of soldiers from the Army and Air force. They were given the opportunity to compete in races all over the US.
Casey graduated college with a degree in Early Childhood Education. Before having her own children, she coached Middle School track and field for two years at Becker and two years at Big Lake. Currently, she teaches preschool outdoors for the Big Lake School district.
Josh Withers - Assistant Coach
Coach Josh has been an active swimmer since 2010 and has been coaching since 2019.
As a coach he has served as Assistant for the Edina Country Club, Head Coach for Life Time Swim, and Head Coach for Neptune Aquatics. Josh is excited to bring his experience and passion for coaching to Great Wolf.
Josh has coached multiple swimmers to podium finishes at State, including first place. He has coached swimmers to Zone times including podium finishes. He’s also coached swimmers to Speedo Futures and Speedo Sectionals. Josh enjoys working with swimmers of all skill sets to help them improve.
Josh’s coaching philosophy is to prioritize improving the technique of starts, turns, strokes, and finishes of each athlete while improving their aerobic and anaerobic abilities. Most importantly he strives to provide a fun, positive, and encouraging environment that makes the athletes feel supported and feel motivated.
Contact Coach Josh: 952-923-6522
