Coach Ken serves as Head Coach and Senior Coach. He has been coaching swimming and water polo since the age of 17.  Ken swam competitively in Southern California and for his mentor, Ro Davis, who gave him the opportunity to work with a new group of developmental swimmers forty-two years ago while a prep swimmer with Fairfield High School and Solano Aquatic Club.  Except for a two-year hiatus he has been coaching ever since. Ken is also a Special Education teacher (29 years) for Salinas Union High School District. In the last forty years he has coached swimming and water polo at Fairfield High School, Solano Aquatic Club, Peninsula Family YMCA and Chula Vista High School, San Diego, Reno Aquatic Club, Bishop Manogue High School, Washoe County School District, League Champions Seaside High School (20 years) and The Dolphins (24 years). Coach Ken’s swimmers have won high school league championships, Junior Olympic and Far Western Championships, and finished top eight at numerous, CCS,  Sectionals and Futures Championships.  He has also developed numerous High School All America swimmers, nationally ranked age group swimmers, and Junior National and Senior National Qualifiers. Ken has served many years as Head Coach for the Pacific Leadership Camp, Assistant Coach for Pacific ALL Star Team, and Assistant Coach for Pacific Swimming Distance Camp at Colorado Springs. Ken is married and lives in Seaside, his children Molly and James are also coaches for Seaside Aquatic Club.  

Santiago Maciel grew up in the bay area and swam locally since he was 8 years old.  He swam competitively for 10 years on the local Gilroy Gators Swim Team, swam in high school all four years qualifying for CCS every year and retiring with Club and High School Records, some of which still stand today.  Later he swam for 2 years while attending Cabrillo College.  He found his way back to swimming through coaching which he has been doing for the past 9 years.  Santiago has further shared his passion for swimming with others as a guest coach at many Swim Camps and All Star meets held by Pacific and USA Swimming.  He follows ASCA/USA Swimming recommended Developmental Progressions for Age Group Swimmers and believes in developing a strong foundation with healthy life habits in and out of the pool.

Coach Alejandra began her swimming career at the early age of eight and swam competitively throughout childhood, high school, and at the collegiate level. Being originally from Salinas, she grew up training at the Hartnell pool. Alejandra swam for Coach Ken and the Dolphins during her high school years, and then swam for Coach Kim Musch at UC Santa Cruz from 2009-2013 where she completed her bachelor's degree. Her specialties and favorite events included the 500 freestyle, 1000 freestyle, 1650, and 100 butterfly. Coach Alejandra returned to Monterey County after serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Phillippines for two years. During her time overseas, she was able to coach a local swim in the small town she lived in where there was no pool, so practice was held at the beach! Upon her return home to Salinas, she extended her coaching experience by coaching the Salinas High School JV team in 2016, the North Salinas High JV swim team in 2018, as well as the La Paz Middle School Cross Country team from 2019-2021. Aside from coaching, Alejandra is an educator and teaches 8th grade science at a local middle school. She is so grateful for the opportunity to give back to her childhood team, and continue to develop her coaching skills while supporting the success of her swimmers!

Dominic Hernandez is not only known as a scholar athlete, but also a father of one.  Dominic began his journey of swimming at Everett Alvarez High School, where he swam and played water polo for 4 years.  Although he stepped away from competition to focus more on academics and finish his Bachelors in Kinesiology, he has also worked with and been trained by many coaches from Seaside Dolphins, to playing water polo and swimming at Delta College in Stockton, CA.  Dominic found his way back to the Bay Area to pursue a health career field and compete for Hartnell College swimming.  He was also one of the first ever intercollegiate athletes to compete as a parent. Since the pandemic, Dominic has found a new way of not only putting in hard work in the pool and in the job field, but also educating his peers and colleagues and, especially, his teammates.

Coach Amanda is originally from Colusa, California, but knows Salinas as home. She swam competitively throughout childhood, including with The Dolphins from 2013 to 2016. Her favorite events were the 1650 free, 1000 free, 800 meter free, and 200 meter back. Amanda decided to end her career as an athlete and attend the University of Portland for her Bachelor's degree. She walked onto the NCAA Division 1 Crew Team, was a member all four years, and was a captain during her last year. During her summers, she taught siwm lessons with the Dolphins Swim School (and still does!). She graduated in 2020 with degrees in Mathematics and Theology. Amanda also coached the Marina High School's swim team. Amanda returned to the University of Portland from 2021 to 2022 to earn a Master's degree in teaching and now teaches math at a local middle school. She is thrilled to be a part of something that gave her childhood so much joy and to give back to the community that helped raise her!

Travis is very excited to be a coach for the Dolphins-Hartnell group this year. He moved to Salinas from Huntington Beach to pursue a career as a school counselor and wanted to continue his coaching career as well. His competitive swimming career began when the was in 3^rd grade and lasted until he graduated from Chapman University in 2016. He has coached high school and club swimming for the last 3 years in southern California. He is looking forward to helping the Dolphins become the best swimmers they can be. His coaching philosophy is simple: he believes every athlete can succeed and it is the coache's job to help every swimmer achieve their own goals as well as develop their passion for the sport. He hopes to get to know every swimmer as an individual and have as much fun as they can.