Daniel has always loved the sport of swimming and believes the success he experienced as a competitive athlete was due only to the incredible investment of his age group coaches. As his swimming journey progressed, he competed all over the southeast before earning a scholarship to The University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky where he was an NAIA All-American swimmer.

After college, he served his country as an officer in the US Army. A recipient of the Bronze Star, he was deployed to Iraq as part of the US Army’s 3 ^rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and considers his military service to be a defining part of who he is. A number of assignments in different locations led to many twists and turns in his coaching career. He was involved in club-level swimming at each of the Army bases where he was stationed. At the conclusion of his military service, he returned to where he grew up in East Tennessee. Along with his wife Paige, he was responsible for establishing the inaugural Men’s and Women’s Swimming Program at Carson-Newman University and had outstanding success as Head Sprint Coach. Currently, his interest in coaching elite-level athletes in their formative years has led him to Austin, Texas, where he enjoys working with some of the nation’s top athletes.

Daniel’s commitment to his faith and to his bride of 17 years is a distinguishing characteristic of his approach to life—and to coaching. He is passionate about using the sport of swimming as a tool to create a positive impact in the lives of the young people he coaches. His quest to “create champions both in and out of the water” is a core value that lies at the heart of every interaction with the athletes he coaches.

For Daniel, it’s always been about way more than simply helping gifted athletes swim faster. He uses many of the leadership principles and techniques he learned in the military to make them better, more resilient people. He bases his approach on practices developed while training with the Army’s Center for Enhanced Performance. With the goal of helping athletes perform under pressure when the stakes are high, he is skilled at using advanced techniques such as visualization, energy management, and strategic goal setting. He is confident that the application of sports psychology is effective in motivating others to perform at a high level in intensely demanding situations. His drive to achieve excellence is reflected in his pursuit of a Master’s degree in Sports Psychology. Daniel graduated with his Master's in 2019 from the University of Tennessee.

One of the most meaningful events in Daniel’s coaching career was when he was presented with an IKKOS medallion by a young Para-Olympic athlete in recognition of coaching contributions that helped him capture a Bronze Medal in the 2016 Para-Olympic Games in Rio.

Paige Tindall  McCord, who grew up in Morristown, Tennessee, was a backstroke specialist in a family of swimmers. She competed for Pilot Aquatic Club before earning an athletic scholarship to Davidson College in 2005. Paige  earned her Master’s degree in Coaching & Athletic Administration from Concordia University in Irvine, California, in 2013.

Traveling along with her husband’s career, she was involved with club programs all over the southeast:  Jefferson City Swim Club in Tennessee (2006), Fort Hood Dolphins in Texas (2009), Columbus Hurricanes in Georgia (2012), & most recently with Nitro Swimming in Texas (2016).  She was responsible for establishing the inaugural Men’s and Women’s Division II Collegiate Swimming Program at Carson-Newman University from 2013-2016. While at C-N, she was honored to coach  9 NCAA Division II All-Americans, 16 NCAA Division II Honorable Mention All-Americans, 2 Bluegrass Mountain Conference Champions, 59 All-BMC Award Winners, and coached the recipient of the first NCAA Elite 90 Award in Carson-Newman history.

Choosing Central Texas as the area to plant roots in after the military, the McCords value a family-like team feel, technical prowess, Christian values & are thrilled to now be part of something truly special at Texas Gold Georgetown. 

Erik learned how to swim as a sophomore in high school and went on to swim DII at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin. A couple semesters away from a mechanical engineering degree he went to a swim coach’s conference that changed the trajectory of his career. The next week he switched his major to Kinesiology and has been pursuing coaching ever since. 

After graduating with a bachelors in Kinesiology he started at Nitro Swimming. While there he worked as the Head Dryland Coach for five seasons and got to learn from some great coaches who led the team to three State Championships and a Junior National Title.

In 2017 he moved to Denver to work with the Denver Swim Academy and Regis Jesuit High School. While there he led the top group on the age group side of the program, helping several athletes achieve nationally ranked times. On the high school side, the team finished top three in the state each season, including a State Championship in 2018. 

In Oklahoma he was the Head Age Group Coach of Trident Aquatic Club. While there, the team doubled in size, each season qualifying more swimmers for the State Championship than ever in the program’s history. 

Erik believes in a process-oriented approach to coaching and likes to make practice challenging, engaging, and enjoyable for the athletes. His best events as a swimmer were the 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 Fly, and 50 Free. 

Growing up, I was driven to challenges and competing. No matter if it was on a field, in the water, or on a court. I played any sport that was available in my small town growing up which eventually evolved into three specific sports (Football, Swimming, and Baseball) by the time I was in highschool. Continuing my academic and athletic career at Indiana University was one of the toughest challenges I faced and I am a firm believer that it was the catapult that sent me into my love and passion for coaching the next generations to come.