Alex Dehner is entering his second season as an assistant coach for the Florida Gators swimming & diving program. In his first season (2023-24), he contributed to both squads finishing third at the NCAA Championships. The men’s team collected five national titles, including three individual wins by Josh Liendo (50 Free, 100 Free, 100 Fly), and posted a record-setting time in the 200 Medley Relay alongside his coaching. The women earned three national titles, including the 800 Free Relay and two individual titles by Bella Sims. Overall, 28 Gators earned 77 All-American honors under his guidance that season.
Dehner is a Floridian and former Gator athlete. He grew up in Tallahassee, swam for Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club for many years, and specialized in freestyle and backstroke. He earned Academic All-America honors while competing at UF before a medical retirement in 2015. After that, he transitioned into coaching—first as a volunteer assistant at UF during his undergraduate years, then building club experience (co-founding Windermere Laker Aquatics) where he helped the club reach high levels nationally and develop swimmers onto USA’s junior and age-group national teams. His expertise now includes dryland strength, corrective exercise, and age-group development, in addition to coaching at the collegiate level.
