Princeton University Athletics
Former Gator All-America Michael Joyce Joins Men's Swim/Dive Coaching Staff
August 10, 2015 | Men's Swimming and Diving
Michael Joyce, a former All-American and Olympic Trials qualifier from the University of Florida, has been named assistant coach for the Ivy League champion Princeton men's swimming and diving team. He replaces Mitch Dalton, who joined USA Swimming after five years as the Princeton assistant coach.
“I am thrilled to have been given this opportunity to work for Princeton,” Joyce said. “Princeton is one of the most respected universities in the world, with an outstanding swimming and diving program. I look forward to working with Rob Orr, and assisting him to the best of my ability. I'm also looking forward to working with the team and helping them reach their goals both in the pool and in the classroom."
Joyce spent the last two years as the head age-group coach and the senior assistant coach for the Raleigh Swimming Association. He coached three North Carolina age-group record holders, as well as 19 individual state champions. He helped double the athlete involvement in the program in one year, and his team placed in the top five last year.
At the same time, he worked as a volunteer assistant coach and intern at North Carolina State, which won the 2015 ACC Championship and placed eighth at the NCAA Championships. Besides writing occasional workouts, he also learned the North Carolina State philosophy on training/conditioning and recruiting athletes.
Joyce began his career at Florida, first as an intern under the Director of Swimming, and then as an assistant coach with the Gator Swim Club Elite program.
He had a highly decorated swimming career at Florida, which was punctuated by a sixth-place finish and first-team All-America honors in the 400 IM. A team captain and four-time Academic First-Team honoree, Joyce reached three SEC championship finals and was a NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship Academic Nominee. He also earned the University of Florida Athletic Senior Leadership Award.
Joyce will return to the Garden State, where he was a standout swimmer at St. Augustine Prep. He was a 16-time high school All-America honoree, and he won both team and individual state championships for St. Augustine.
"I was born and raised in New Jersey and I am fortunate enough to be returning back to my home state while working for Princeton,” Joyce added. “This has always been a dream of mine to work for such an outstanding university. I can't wait to begin on August 24."