Coach Jimmy Parmenter is an experienced and accomplished swimming coach with an impressive career spanning several decades. He currently serves as the Aquatics Director and Head Coach of BT Aquatics and Brownell Talbot High School, a position he has held for six years.
Prior to his tenure at BT Aquatics and Brownell Talbot High School, Coach Jimmy spent 27 years at the Plantation Swim Team (PST), where he retired from his coaching duties. At PST, Coach Jimmy held various coaching positions, including Head Age Group Coach from 1990 to 2000 and Head Coach from 2000 to 2017.
Coach Jimmy's coaching credentials are highly esteemed. He is a certified Level 5 Coach with the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA), which is the highest designation granted by the association. This certification reflects his expertise and knowledge in coaching swimming.
Throughout his career, Coach Jimmy has received numerous accolades and recognition for his coaching achievements. In 2002, he was named the National High School Athletic Association Southeastern Coach of the Year. He was also honored as the Florida Dairy Farmers 2A Coach of the Year and received the Coach of the Year titles from the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel and Miami Herald.
Coach Jimmy's contributions to the swimming community go beyond coaching individual teams. He has hosted and directed USA Swimming Racing Camps, Sectionals, and some of the largest Championship meets in Florida. Additionally, he holds the position of a licensed Swim America Director, further demonstrating his commitment to promoting and developing swimming at various levels.
Coach Jimmy's success as a high school coach in Florida is remarkable. His teams have achieved an impressive dual meet record of 236 wins and only 4 losses. Under his guidance, the St. Thomas Aquinas High School Boys team secured State Championships in 1997, 1998, and 1999. Similarly, the St. Thomas Aquinas High School Girls team claimed State Championships in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2004.
Coach Jimmy has an impressive swimming background, as a competitive swimmer, he achieved notable accomplishments at various levels of competition.
During his time as a swimmer, Coach Jimmy was a National Top 16 performer, which means he ranked among the top 16 swimmers in the country in his respective events. He also held records in the Florida Gold Coast, a swimming organization in Florida, indicating his exceptional performance and skill in his events.
In high school, Coach Jimmy was recognized as a High School All-American, an honor bestowed upon high school swimmers who achieve exceptional performances. He also qualified for prestigious meets such as the US Open, Junior National, and Senior National, demonstrating his talent and dedication to the sport.
Upon entering college, Coach Jimmy continued to excel in swimming. He established records in his school's swimming program in several events, including the 100 and 200 breaststroke, 200 and 400 individual medley (IM), and 50 and 100 freestyle. These records indicate his dominance and proficiency in multiple swimming disciplines.
Coach Jimmy's impressive performances earned him the status of an NCAA Qualifier, meaning he qualified to compete in the NCAA Championships, the highest level of collegiate swimming competition. He qualified in the 100 and 200 breaststroke, 200 and 400 IM, and 50 and 100 freestyle events, showcasing his versatility and strength across various swimming strokes and distances.
Furthermore, Coach Jimmy achieved conference champion titles and held records in the 100 and 200 breaststroke, 200 and 400 IM, and 50 and 100 freestyle events. Winning conference championships and setting records in these events highlight his exceptional skills, competitiveness, and dominance within his collegiate conference.
With such an impressive swimming background, Coach Jimmy brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his coaching role. His personal success and achievements make him a valuable mentor and guide for aspiring swimmers looking to improve their skills and reach their full potential in the sport.
Jeff Nelson was raised in the state of Iowa, graduating from Storm Lake High School. Jeff attended Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where he majored in biology. While at Luther College, Jeff swam all four years, competing in sprint freestyle events for The Norse.
After graduating from college, Jeff used his biology degree for the next decade with a career in the burgeoning fields of biotech medical research. Jeff began his career as a researcher studying dental restorative materials at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry. Jeff then ran a genetics laboratory in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine for many years. His primary focus in the Psychiatry Department was a study looking for genes responsible for Panic Attack Disorder. This laboratory was also involved with multi institutional studies of schizophrenia and alcoholism, as well as the education of future physician scientists. Jeff made a change to the Surgery Department at Iowa, where he conducted molecular biology studies investigating causation and treatment of acute pancreatitis. A move to downtown Chicago took Jeff to Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He was recruited to Northwestern to use his DNA and RNA techniques in the Department of Transplant Surgery for a research group that was conducting trials of human pancreatic islet cell transplantation as a treatment for Type 1 Diabetes. Jeff was fortunate to be part of many publications during these years of research.
Jeff hung up his lab coat and said goodbye to the medical research world when he moved to Omaha. Jeff’s wife, Dr. Jill Nelson was finished with her medical training and she started her career in Omaha, while Jeff became the stay at home parent for many years. During these years, swimming never departed Jeff’s life, as he continued to train in the pool and stay active in watersports. Jeff has resided in Omaha since 2003, with his wife Dr. Jill Nelson, son Henrik (BT 2022) and daughter Ingrid (BT 2025). During these years, Jeff expanded his swimming to open water races. He also made sure his children became swimmers and fans of water activities.
When Jeff’s children were old enough to allow some freedom, the swimming world came calling. In 2014, his first step was to become a certified USA Swimming Stroke & Turn Official. Starter, Deck Referee, and Meet Referee certifications came next and have allowed him to continually assist with swim meet officiating duties throughout Midwestern Swimming. Jeff serves as the Meet Referee at swim meets hosted by Brownell Talbot. Between 2016 and 2022 Jeff served on the Midwestern Swimming Board of Directors, holding positions as Secretary and Member at Large.
Jeff assumed the interim position of Head Swim Coach for Brownell Talbot briefly in 2018. Jeff then helped recruit Head Coach Jimmy Parmenter to Brownell Talbot. Jeff has been an Associate Head Coach since Jimmy’s arrival at Brownell Talbot. The USA Swimming Club, Masters Swimming, and Brownell Talbot PE have continually expanded and improved, serving more swimmers each subsequent year.
Jeff is thrilled to be part of the BT Aquatics, constantly trying to improve the program, the facility, and most importantly the skills of his swimmers.
Jeff joined us in February 2023 as our Morning Masters Coach. His children have beeen swimming with BT's club team since 2019. In addition to coaching, he is a USA Swimming official and serves on the Midwestern Swimming Board of Directors. When Jeff is not coaching or officiating swim meets, you'll find him in the water as he is passionate about all aquatics.
Jeff is an American Red Cross Lifeguard, Water Safety Instructor, Babysittting Instructor, and a Lifeguard Instructor. He is also certified as a Paddleboard Instructor and is a member of PSUPA. Jeff is committed to safety at all times (whether in a aquatic environment or somewhere hiking in remote areas) and is a CPR/AED/First Aid Instructor with several certifying agencies.
When not coaching at BT, you will find him teaching swim lessons and Lifeguard classes at the Kroc Center of Omaha where he served as an Aquatics Specialist from 2021 to 2024. In March of 2024, Jeff joined the management team of the aquatics facility at the Kroc Center. Jeff also teaches Lifeguard classes at BT upon request.
Jeff's biggest passion truly lies with SCUBA diving as he has been a diver for over 25 years and a dive professional for over 15 years. He teaches scuba courses and classes at various pools all over the Omaha area.
