Dana Grindall, who spent three seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Colgate, joined Jim Henry’s staff as an assistant swimming and diving coach in June of 2023. She enters her fourth season at Yale in 2026-27.
Under her guidance on Henry’s staff, the program has experienced recent success. In 2026, the team produced seven NCAA Qualifiers, three All-American Honorable Mentions, six Ivy League Champion titles, seven All-Ivy Second Team honorees, 14 team records, and eight pool records — culminating in the Men's Ivy League Career High Point and the Men's Ivy League Coaching Staff of the Year Award.
The 2025 season proved equally historic, highlighted by a 20th-place finish at the Men's NCAA Championships, eight NCAA Qualifiers, one First Team All-American and two All-American Honorable Mentions, the Women's Ivy League Career High Point Award, eight Ivy League Championship titles, six All-Ivy Second Team honorees, 18 team records, and seven pool records.
In 2024, the program sent six athletes to the Olympic Trials and two to NCAAs, while earning four All-Ivy Second Team honors, seven team records, and five pool records.
At Colgate, Grindall served as the head sprint coach in addition to her role as recruiting coordinator. She also was the team’s social media manager and travel coordinator. In 2020-21, the women’s program established six new records, including three first year marks and three pool records.
Grindall comes to Yale after serving as the Head Junior Coach at the Chelsea Piers Aquatic Club.
Prior to Colgate. Grindall spent two years in Las Vegas as an educator at Teach for America, while also serving as the Swim Coach at Western High School. During that time, she earned a master of education degree at UNLV.
As an athlete, Grindall had a decorated career at the University of Wisconsin where she was a two-time Olympic Trials qualifier, Big Ten Champion, First Team All-Big Ten selection and honorable mention All-American in 2015. She set the school record in the 200-yard butterfly and served as a team captain for the 2016-17 campaign.
The Orange, Conn., native earned a bachelor's degree in human development and family studies from Wisconsin in May 2017.
