Coaches Bios

      Head Coach John O’Neill brings over 25 years of successful coaching experience to the Club’s programs. Currently, Coach O’Neill serves as Aquatics Director as part of his duties with the Athletic Administration at Providence College. Most recently, Coach O’Neill served five years as Head Coach of Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY. Prior to that, O’Neill spent 17 years as Aquatics Director and Head Coach at Providence College. He formed and was Head Coach of the successful Providence Aquatic Club. O’Neill also served three years as Assistant Coach at Brown University, and six seasons as an Assistant with the Little Rhody Aquatic Club. O’Neill’s athletes were finalists at both 2006 US Nationals and the 2005 US Open. Coach O’Neill has a 25 year record of success in local, regional and national competitions and has qualified swimmers for Olympic Trials. In addition, O’Neill has mentored manyMasters swimmers, two of whom broke multiple world records.

      O’Neill is a graduate of Springfield College (’81) and earned his Masters degree from Providence College (’87). Locally, he is an inductee of both the Rhode Island Aquatic Hall of Fame (1994) and the Cumberland High School Hall of Fame (2004). He and his wife Cindy are residents of Cumberland and have three children, Shannon (21) and junior Education major at Springfield College, Tom (19) a sophomore Computer Science major at Providence College and Meghan (13) a member of the Little Rhody Aquatic Club.

      Coach O’Neill is proud and excited to bring the Little Rhody Aquatic Club back to Rhode Island and New England Swimming and looks forward to the club’s growth. He serves as the Head Coach and is the owner of the Little Rhody Aquatic Club, coordinating all the club’s branches.

      Steve is a former Assistant Coach with the Providence Aquatic Club with Coach O’Neill as well as serving as Coach at LaSalle Academy. Steve, a former All-State swimmer at LaSalle, competed for Northeastern University where he was a NAC and America East finalist. After transferring he became a stand-out swimmer at Providence College while swimming for Coach O’Neill where he received the David Hardy Coaches Award following his senior season. Steve is a veteran Camp and Club coach, and he continues to be a top competitor in both Masters Swimming (FINA Top Ten Masters World Rankings SCM 2004. 2005, 2006) and Triathlons. Steve helps coordinate the Bryant training groups and assist at Providence.

      Mike is a third generation competitive swimmer who has over ten years of coaching experience. Mike has worked with swimmers on almost every level of the sport, ranging from beginners to some of the best swimmers in the world. On the club level he has worked with multiple Olympians, World champions, NCAA champions, American Record Holders, Olympic Trial Finalists, Senior and Junior National champions. His age group swimmers have included multiple national top 16 athletes, age group champions, and New England record holders. On the college level he has worked with Olympians, NCAA Qualifiers, Ivy League team and individual champions. Mike is a two time recipient of the American Swim Coaches Association Coach of the Year for New England Swimming. In 2003 he was selected to coach the US National Team Distance Training Camp.

      As a swimmer, Mike has over twenty years of competitive swimming experience. During that time he was a 16 time All American and a 5 time national individual and relay champion in collegiate and masters swimming. In 2006, at the ripe age of 35, Mike was a finalist at the 2006 Speedo Sectional Championships in both breaststroke events. In the summer of 2006 at the Fina Masters World Championships he took 3 individual top 5 places and 3 relay top three finishes including a World and American record breaking finish in the 200 medley relay.

      Mike is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts- Dartmouth and Broward Community College in Fort Lauderdale FL. In 1999 he was inducted to the BCC Hall of Fame. He graduated from Martin High School in Arlington, TX. Mike will coordinate the East Providence groups as well as assist at Providence College.

      Kevin, the Assistant Athletic Director at the Community College of Rhode Island, is one of the most experienced coaches in Rhode Island. A former standout for Hendricken High School, the University of Rhode Island graduate has coached age group swimming and camps for 20 years. Kevin has served as Assistant Coach with Brown University and Providence College and was the Head Coach of Swimming at Clark University in Worcester, MA for 10 years. He is a former Board Member and President of the Rhode Island Aquatic Hall of Fame, and is also an Inductee. In 1995, he and Coach O’Neill were speakers at the American Swim Coaches Association World Clinic in New Orleans where they introduced their Tape “Take your Mark, A Parents Guide to Age Group Swimming.” Kevin will assist with all groups at Bryant and Providence.

      Paul currently serves as Head Coach at Bay View Academy, having just won their 2 State Title in the last 5 years. A veteran and accomplished coach and teacher, Paul served as Head Coach at the Smithfield YMCA for many years where his swimmers achieved success both locally, regionally and nationally. Paul will coordinate the Bryant training groups and assist at Providence.

      Eric is a former Assistant Coach with the Little Rhody Aquatic Club and has also served as Head Coach of the Barrington YMCA, Taunton Boys and Girls Club, and Moses Brown High school. Eric, along with Chris Wood and John O’Neill, launched the Providence Aquatic Club at Providence College. Eric has experience teaching recreational and competitive swimming with all age groups from preschoolers to Masters. The YMCA of the USA chose Eric as a national faculty member to competitive swimming, and he has trained YMCA coaches across the eastern seaboard. As a swimmer, Eric joined the Brown Swim Club (which later became Little Rhody Aquatic Club) and has been involved with Little Rhody as a swimmer or a coach, as long as it has existed. Eric participated in High School Swimming at Bishop Hendricken and was a member of Southern Connecticut State University Swimming. He has competed in New England, Regional and National Championships through out his swimming career.

      Katie serves as assistant coach with the Bryant University men's and women's swim teams. A native of Douglassville, Pa and graduate of Daniel Boone High School in Birdsboro, Pa., Centrella is a 2004 graduate of Ithaca College where she earned a degree in Sport Management. While at Ithaca, Centrella was a standout swimmer for the Lady Bombers, leading the team to four Empire Eight and four NYSWCAA Championships during her career. A four-time all-American, Centrella was a member of Ithaca's 800 freestyle relay record breaking team.

      Prior to arriving at Bryant, Centrella was recently the Assistant Aquatic Director at the Brandywine YMCA in Coatesville, Pa. where she assisted in overseeing the aquatics program that featured 12,000 members in a two pool facility. In addition, she also served as the assistant coach of the Brandywine Tigersharks swim team. Katie will assist with all groups at Bryant and Providence.

      Nicole, a Providence College graduate and was a member and captain of the Lady Friars swim teams during her college career. She is a veteran Age Group and Camp coach, having worked in the USA Swimming arena over the past 9 years. Her background includes coaching all age groups with the Providence Aquatic Club, The Providence Swim Camps and the summer Swimming Camps at the US Military Academy at West Point. She has been the Head Coach of Swimming at East Greenwich High School since 2003. This program over the 5 years has fielded a RI swimmer of the year and multiple state finalists. The program has grown from a 10th place State finish to 4th, 5th, and twice at third. Additionally the program started a Men's team in 2005 in which Nicole took over responsibility for in its first year and still continues to provide guidance to the young team. Nicole will assist at the Providence site.

      Jamie has served as Head Coach of Boys and Girls swimming at Cranston West High School since 2004 (Division Champions 2005-2006). Prior to that, she served as Head Coach at the Cranston YMCA (2002-2004). Jamie has been involved with competitive swimming for her entire life, having competed at the Y and Club level for the Newman Y, Cranston Y, CAST, and PAC. She competed for Bay View Academy and Keene State College, and currently competes as a Masters swimmer. Jamie will assist at the Providence and Smithfield sites.

      Jill is a former assistant coach with the Providence Aquatic Club. Jill had an outstanding collegiate career representing Bates College in Lewiston Maine. She is originally from New Jersey where she competed for the Jersey Gator swim club. Jill, who works in Academic support at Providence College, will assist with the groups at Providence.

      Amanda has served as Volunteer Assistant Coach with the East Providence High School swimming team the past two years. She has also worked with youths at the Newman YMCA. Amanda will work with our group at East Providence High School.

      Shannon is currently a Junior Education major at Springfield College. As a member of the Springfield College team, she competed in the distance freestyle and breaststroke events. Shannon also competed for the Newburgh Free Academy in Newburgh, NY and Classical High School in Providence, Rhode Island. She has worked Swim Camps at both Army and Providence College and has taught swimming for many years in both New York and Rhode Island. Shannon will help with the Seahorse and Junior groups.

      Jessica is a standout freshman swimmer for the Bryant Bulldogs, leading the team in scoring during her first season in Smithfield. The New Hampshire native is a veteran club swimmer who swam for the New Wave Swim Club in Massachusetts; Jessica will help with the Seahorse group!

      Cindy will assist with the club’s “dry side,” and handle the club’s day to day business. A veteran swim mother and wife of Head Coach John O’Neill, Cindy began working for swim clubs with the original Little Rhody Aquatic Club back in the 1980’s. Cindy serves as the Club’s safety coordinator and will help coordinate the activities at each club site.