With five consecutive NCAA Championship wins on the women’s side and the nation’s top recruiting class for the men, it is evident that Virginia swimming has thrived off of the program’s signature high-energy, intense style of Coach Todd DeSorbo. But DeSorbo is not alone. Another coach has been with the Cavaliers for the entirety of DeSorbo’s tenure — Tyler Fenwick.
The senior associate head coach joined the team as DeSorbo’s first hire, and now, eight years later, he remains the only member of DeSorbo’s original staff.
Fenwick is former collegiate swimmer for William & Mary and seasoned swim coach with 21 years of collegiate swimming experience. He has played an essential role in shaping the energy, attraction and success of the Virginia swimming program. From facilitating recruiting efforts to building alumni relationships, Fenwick makes a renowned behind-the-scenes impact that has been a powerful driving force in Virginia’s rise to prominence. In short, he wears many hats — or in this case, swim caps.
One of these caps includes managing the program’s Instagram account. The origins of this commitment stem from Fenwick’s first season spent as an associate coach. He recalls that the first day of practice under DeSorbo’s leadership consisted of not simply walking but running onto the pool deck with excitement. Fenwick knew this energy was both contagious and marketable, and channeled that excitement into content for the Instagram account.
During this time, the team’s Instagram had around 600 followers — a stark contrast to their current staggering count of around 48,400 followers. Fenwick noted that since that first day of practice, he has heightened the account through self-taught video, story and graphic creation.
“It basically has been that tempo since August 2017,” Fenwick said. “We are a high tempo, in-your-face, high energy team. That's our magic trick. We love to have fun [and] we love to work hard, but we go at a frenetic pace, and I think that our Instagram mirrors that pulse.”
But the Instagram account is much more than a commemorative medium. According to Fenwick, the Virginia swimming account has played a role in attracting recruits over the years.
“We just love to tell our story,” Fenwick said. “We love to give insight into our program. We pride ourselves on being a very open door program [and a] very transparent program. So when the media asks to look inside, we're happy to bring them in and let them see whatever they want to see, and Instagram is really a wonderful tool for that.”
Beyond relying on social media, he began leading the men’s program recruitment efforts around two years ago with the goal of securing both Thomas Heilman and Maximus Williamson — the number one and two recruits in the nation for the incoming freshmen men’s class in 2025 — alongside a wide array of additional talent to stack the men’s roster.
Partnering with assistant coach Courtney Caldwell, Fenwick plans the recruiting weekends throughout the year. He noted that, in the most recent recruiting trip in September, the program hosted 21 recruits. With a packed weekend of team events and exposure to the program, Fenwick said that the recruits were given a chance to experience the program’s signature high-energy flair.
“Recruiting is the lifeblood of our program, and the people you bring in, they're the ones that are going to lead your program going forward,” Fenwick said.
In a written statement to The Cavalier Daily, senior Matthew Heilman, older brother to freshman Thomas Heilman, noted that Fenwick’s leadership has been influential to him since his first year on the team. Matthew Heilman said that, in particular, Fenwick’s ability to recognize potential in young athletes and support them along their trajectory has supported his success.
“Tyler was my main coach my first year at U.Va.,” Heilman said. “The cohesiveness and camaraderie he preached and created within our group has lasted with me ever since. He is great at seeing potential in people and pushing his swimmers to be the best they can be.”
Aside from focusing on attracting new talent, Fenwick also helps lead fundraising efforts at a time when donations are especially important, considering that swimming is expected to receive very little of the University’s yearly $20.5 million dollar budget to compensate student-athletes. This effort reflects Fenwick’s ability to keep the enduring permanence of the program in mind amidst tasks — such as the maintenance of the social media and recruitment — that benefit the program’s current and short-term success.
Most notably, the men’s program received an anonymous $2.2 million donation earlier this year. Fenwick explained that the coaching staff is deeply grateful for the generosity displayed by this donor, as this donation will enable the men’s program to continue to drive both growth and long-term viability.
Among all of these responsibilities, Fenwick still finds time to spend on the pool deck — for roughly three to four hours each day — coaching and engaging with athletes from both the men’s and women’s teams.
In a written statement to The Cavalier Daily, junior Cavan Gormsen noted that Fenwick’s positivity that he brings to the pool deck is uplifting and consistently captures the team’s upbeat spirit.
“Tyler has a huge personality and always brings humor [and] laughs to the pool deck. His energy is contagious, and it’s easy to see how much he loves the team,” Gormsen said.
This energy is not only evident in practices, but is also evident in swim meets. In preparation for the team’s upcoming home dual meet against North Carolina Oct. 24, he has planned a ceremony for the unveiling of the 2025 NCAA Championship banner that the women secured in March. Additionally, he has coordinated with a DJ and renowned announcers from the U.S. Olympic Trials and World Aquatics Swimming Championships to call the meet. In signature Cavalier swimming style, Fenwick said that he hopes to entertain the crowd and create an energetic atmosphere for the athletes and spectators.
Across all of Fenwick’s efforts over the last eight years, and different caps worn, his goal remains central — to uplift the program and the athletes to the best of his ability.
“I just want [the athletes] to be the best version of themselves,” Fenwick said. “We want them to look back on their four-year experience here and look at it as the best time of their life.”
Aimee Crosbie contributed reporting.
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