Biography
Kumbier was promoted to head coach for the Gators’ swimming and diving units on May 12 following his tenure as Interim Coach for the 2013-14 campaign. Serving as assistant swimming & diving coach for the previous two seasons, the 2011 graduate of perennial NCAA powerhouse Kenyon College has continuously displayed considerable experience as both an athlete and coach, and his appointment continues to serve as a tremendous asset for the Gators’ burgeoning competitive spirit.
During the 2013-14 season, Kumbier led the Gators to over 150 personal bests, leading a staff that procured four NCAA qualifying times or scores and the 2013-14 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Diving Coach of the Year in Fred Evanoff. In his three years at Allegheny, Kumbier has helped mentor a number of NCAA National Qualifiers. In the 2011-12 season, Mirno Pasquali ’12 (200 back) and Brandon Intrieri ’13 (100 fly 49.45, 50 free) earned spots at the national championships. That year Intrieri tacked on his third All-American honor with his 13th place finish at the NCAA Championships. Pasquali earned his spot in Indianapolis after logging a scalding 1:49.91 in the 200 back at the 2011-12 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) championships, finishing second while setting a new program record in the process. He then lowered it to 1:49.54 with a 16th place finish at the NCAA Championships.
Over his time coaching at Allegheny, Kumbier has helped five Gators earn All-NCAC performances. Overall, Kumbier has coached approximately 50 Gator student-athletes to over 325 personal bests during the past three seasons, with two athletes setting three new program records.
Additionally, Kumbier has spent the last two summers as a counselor for the Salo Swim Camp at the University of Southern California. In 2013, Kumbier was named the Head Coach-Counselor for the camp geared towards swimmers age 8-17. Working alongside Division I and Division III coaches and athletes as well as national and international elite swimmers and Olympians, Kumbier helped coach over 100 athletes per week during the camp, including international campers from Russia, South Africa, Japan, England, India and Italy.
In 2012, Kumbier served as a counselor for the Wolverine Swim Camp in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he worked with over 200 athletes at Michigan’s facility, home of the 2012-13 Division I National Champions. Kumbier also worked the Elite Breastroke and Comprehensive Camps at the Total Performance Camps in Gambier, Ohio, working with legendary Kenyon head coach Jim Steen, additionally serving three summers as an assistant swim coach at Ann Arbor Country Club from 2009 to 2011.
As an athlete, Kumbier was a five-time national qualifier who finished among the top eight at the NCAC Championships in the 200 breaststroke on three separate occasions, placing fourth twice while finishing among the top eight twice in the 100 breaststroke, placing as high as fifth. In 2011, he was presented with the Stephen E. Bennett Memorial Award, which is presented annually to the Kenyon senior who has consistently supported the program in devotion to training and competition.
As a student, Kumbier majored in Mathematics with a focus on Abstract Algebra while also earning a minor in Studio Art. Kumbier earned College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Academic All-American Honorable Mention awards his sophomore, junior and senior year.
