Schimmel enters his second season at Penn State in 2025-26 season and owns decades of experience at all levels of competitive swimming and diving.
In 2024-25, the Penn State men’s team collected five meet wins, while the women’s team captured four meet wins.
On the men’s side, junior Matthew Bittner set a school record in the 200 IM (1:43.78) and sophomore Alex Karahalis set a PSU record in the 200 Butterfly (1:43.47) and the Nittany Lions posted school records in the 200 Freestyle Relay (1:17.77) and 800 Freestyle Relay (6:22.37).
Junior Eduardo Cisternas captured a team-high nine individual event titles, while posting an NCAA B time in the 1650 Freestyle (15:15.08).
Sophomore Tylor Kim, junior Mariano Lazzerini and junior Cooper Morley each collected seven individual event wins. Kim earned NCAA B times in the 50 Freestyle (19.64), 100 Freestyle (43.24) and 200 Freestyle (1:35.07), while Lazzerini had NCAA B times in the 100 Breaststroke (52.49) and 200 Breaststroke (1:56.33). Morley posted NCAA B times in the 100 Butterfly (46.14), 100 Backstroke (45.61) and 200 Backstroke (1:41.70).
Karahalis secured six individual event titles and NCAA B times in the 200 Butterly (1:44.58), 200 IM (1:44.60) and 400 IM (3:46.68).
Bittner claimed NCAA B times in the 100 Backstroke (45.48), 100 Butterfly (45.76) and 200 IM (1:45.26), while placing seventh at the Big Ten Championships in the 100 Backstroke (45.68).
Penn State earned four event titles in the 200 Medley Relay, three in the 400 Freestyle Relay and one each in the 200 Freestyle Relay and 400 Medley Relay.
In diving, Hayden Elliott picked up two event titles each in the 1-meter dive and 3-meter dive.
On the women’s side, fifth-year Margaret Markvardt set a school record in the 200 IM (1:57.03).
Markvardt collected nine individual event titles and posted NCAA B times in the 100 Butterfly (51.96) and 200 IM (1:57.03). She finished eighth at the Big Ten Championships in the 100 Butterfly (52.55).
Junior Catherine Meisner captured seven individual event titles and earned an NCAA B time in the 200 Freestyle (1:45.74).
Junior Morgan Moore tallied six individual event titles and posted NCAA B times in the 500 Freestyle (4:46.16) and 1650 Freestyle (16:27.26).
The Nittany Lions captured two event titles in the 400 Freestyle Relay and one in the 200 Medley Relay.
In diving, Grace Brammer won three event titles, two in the 3-meter dive and one in the 1-meter dive. She earned an NCAA A score of 293.25.
Multiple Nittany Lions competed in international competitions. Bittner, Karahalis, Kim and Moore all qualified for World Championship Trials in June. Lazzerini claimed a Chilean National Record in the 50 Breaststroke. Cisternas and Lazzerini both competed in the Pan American Games.
Most recently, Schimmel spent the previous season coaching with Bonewit-Cron at the University of Miami (OH), where he served as an assistant coach. He helped lead the men's team to their fifth MAC Championship in the last six years and guided the women's squad to a second-place finish at conference championships this year. In his time with the RedHawks he coached Nicole Maier, a two-time All-American including her most recent this season.
Before his time at Miami (OH), Schimmel was the associate head coach of Athens Bulldog Swim Club (ABSC Pro Dawgs) from 2016-22. While working with the Pro Dawgs, Schimmel also served as the volunteer assistant coach for the University of Georgia. In his time with the Bulldogs, he helped six individuals qualify for the 2020 U.S. Olympic team. Five of the six athletes earned medals while representing the United States. During his time in Georgia, he worked for Cali Conders, a professional swim club, from 2020-22 and was a Team USA Lead Coach for the 2019 Fina Champions Series in Budapest.
Prior to his time in Athens, Schimmel served as the head women's swimming and diving coach for the University of Arkansas from 2012-16. Schimmel guided 13 All-American performances and 57 honorable mention All-Americans. With Schimmel at the helm, the Razorbacks finished 26th in the country in 2013 and 44th in the nation in 2015. His student-athletes compiled a 3.54 cumulative GPA throughout his time at Arkansas.
Schimmel's first head coaching job was at a fellow Big Ten school, the University of Maryland, where he served as the head men's and women's swimming and diving coach from 2008-12. He saw large success during his time in College Park, with two top-25 team finishes, no. 25 in 2010 and no. 22 in 2011. His women's squad set 56 school records and 25 on the men's side throughout his four years leading the program. His student-athletes secured four All-American honors and 20 honorable mention nods.
Schimmel's first power five stop in the world of collegiate swimming was at LSU, where he served as te associate head coach for the Tiger's men's nad women's teams from 2006-08.
His first coaching job in the collegiate world was a stop at Harvard, where he began his career as an assistant coach of the men's team from 1999-2006.
The experienced coach swam for the University of Southern California. During his time in college, he participated in the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1988 in the 100 and 200 fly. Schimmel earned his degree in communications from USC in 1992.