Ohio State Swimming Coach Bill Dorenkott Talks House vs NCAA And NIL Pipelines

Today on the SwimSwam podcast is a man who doesn’t just run a program—he builds an ecosystem. We’re joined by Bill Dorenkott, Ohio State’s Director of Swimming and Diving. Bill’s teams have quietly—and not so quietly—become one of the most consistent and innovative forces in collegiate swimming. We’re talking about a program that, in summer 2025 alone, qualified 16 athletes for U.S. Nationals, notched 24 second swims, and put 4 athletes on U.S. National Teams. Charlie Clarke’s heading to Worlds in open water. Matthew Klinge, Mila Nikanorov, and Daniel Baltes? Off to represent at the World University Games. And let’s not forget—Daniel Baltes had never even swum a long course meet before coming to Columbus. But this conversation isn’t just about results. It’s about how they’re doing it. Bill shares his “gradually, gradually, then suddenly” philosophy, how Columbus has become a magnet for young talent, and how their burgeoning pro and post-grad group is positioning Ohio State as a key player on the road to LA 2028.