United is proud to have a high-calibre coaching team that is not only highly skilled and professional, but also approachable and dedicated. Our coaches are committed to helping every swimmer reach their full potential in a supportive, safe, and enjoyable team environment
Andy McMillan
Andy McMillan is the head coach of United Swimming Club. Andy has a large swim coaching background having worked with multiple clubs in the past, most notably he was the former head coach of North Shore Swimming Club for a number of years. Throughout Andy’s coaching career he has made his way on to several New Zealand teams guiding swimmers to success on the Mare Nostrum Tour. Andy is also the Black Fins pool coach having recently taken the New Zealand team to compete in Germany at the International German Cup.
Andy was a strong competitive swimmer, specialising in Freestyle and Butterfly. His swimming career has taken him to an international level, representing NZ at the 2012 Olympic games held in London and the 2006 commonwealth games held in Melbourne.
Andrew Jeffcoat
Andrew Jeffcoat shares his extensive swimming experience across several squads, with a main focus on supporting our Senior Squads.
Andrew is best known for his exploits as a backstroke specialist and is the current holder of the NZ Short Course Records in the 50, 100 and 200m Backstroke. And of course, who can forget his swim at the 2022 Commonwealth Games where he won Gold in the 50m backstroke.
Most recently, Andrew has been coaching at Club 37 focusing on both the Junior and Senior Swimmers. Andrew is a real technician of swimming with world class underwater skills. We are excited to see what he can bring to the coaching team.
This is what Head Coach Andy McMillan had to say: “Andrew is going to be a fantastic addition to our coaching team. He has achieved so much as an athlete and now wants to use his experience to develop the next generation of swimmers.
He is enormously passionate about swimming, and will bring enthusiasm and energy to pool deck. I am genuinely excited by our coaching line up and it is going to be a really exciting time to be at United.”
Orinoco Prince
Orinoco Prince leads the United Swimming Junior programme, with his primary focus on leading, developing and strengthening our Junior Squads.
Orinoco is a highly decorated swimmer. A dominant force in sprinting through the age group ranks, Orinoco claimed multiple NAG’s titles, was the World Junior champion and record holder in the 50m Free. He set a NZ Record for 50m Freestyle in a time of 22.37 which stood for approx. 8 years and won numerous gold medals and NZ Titles making him one of the most successful sprinters in our country’s history.
Orinoco went on to represent NZ at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and anchored the 4×100 free relay.
As a swimmer, Orinoco was known for transferring raw power into his swimming and he brings this speed to United! Ori is passionate about swimming and has coached across all age groups.
Ori brings a huge amount of energy to our club and continues to use the most innovative coaching strategies to bring the best out of his squads.
When asked about his coaching philosophy, this is what Ori had to say:
“When it comes to coaching, I like to take a long-term approach, starting with the ultimate goal in mind and working backward to design a programme that best supports achieving it. I continuously seek strategies outside of the sport that can be applied to swimming with great effect. I believe that to perform at the highest levels, you must consistently be at your best in all areas of life.”
“I enjoy working closely with athletes to understand the “why” behind what they are doing, not just focusing on the tasks. It’s the engaged, passionate, and driven athletes who achieve meaningful outcomes.”
