Vanderbilt head swimming coach Jeremy Organ is in his 20th season in charge of the program in 2025-26.
Since taking charge after the reinstatement of the program in 2006, Organ’s student-athletes have set school records in every event while performing at a high level in the classroom. Twelve different swimmers have earned CSCAA Scholar All-American distinction over the past 10 seasons, and 95 have made the SEC Academic Honor Roll on 208 occasions in the last 13 years.
Under his direction, Kailia Utley became the first member of the program to advance to the NCAA Championships since 1989 in 2023-24 after qualifying in both the 100 and 200 butterfly. Utley, along with Faith Knelson and Mercedes Traba, were selected CSCAA Scholar All-Americans after each of the three achieved the NCAA B Standard in at least one event while also advancing to finals at the SEC Championships in Auburn, Ala. Their efforts helped the Commodores record their highest point total at the league meet in 17 years, as 16 individuals would meet the NCAA B and NIC A and B standards in 41 events during the course of the season.
Megan Ciezczak, Abby Francis, Ellie Taliaferro and Utley each were selected Academic All-District by College Sports Communicators in March, while 29 of 30 individuals on the roster last season garnered SEC academic recognition for their work in the classroom, which helped the program post record-setting grade-point averages at the end of both the fall and spring semesters.
Organ assisted Utley in returning to the NCAA Championships at the end of the 2024-25 season while also helping the freshmen duo of Emily Constable and Aubrey Hull qualify for the CSCAA National Invitational Championship as all three individuals were named Scholar All-Americans by the organization at the end of the year. Utley once again was a CSC Academic All-District selection, with Kate Heintz, Quinlan Hinerfeld and Reagan Mathieson joining her in earning the recognition, as 31 swimmers were named to the SEC Winter and First-Year Academic Honors Rolls following the conclusion of the campaign.
During the 2022-23 season, Organ’s efforts helped both Utley and Knelson meet the NCAA B Standard in multiple events while 10 members of the program achieved the CSCAA National Independent Championship B Standard in 23 events. Six Commodores, the most since 2018, would go on to compete in 17 races (not including relays) at the NIC with Knelson advancing to three finals—highlighted by a victory in the 100 individual medley B Final—and Taliaferro and Utley making one each. Knelson and Utley also advanced to finals at the SEC Championships, and Knelson also claimed the A Final of the 100 breaststroke at the Gamecock Invitational. Out of the pool, 27 of 29 members of the program were named to either the SEC Academic or First-Year Academic Honor Rolls.
The previous season Organ guided Vandy to victories in five of seven meets as both Utley and Knelson recorded NCAA B Standard times, with the former advancing to finals in the 200-yard butterfly at the SEC Championships before going on to compete in three events at the CSCAA National Independent Championship. In total, 13 other individuals met NIC A or B Standards throughout the winter, while Utley won the 100- and 200-yard butterfly finals to pace a group of 11 swimmers who would qualify for A finals at the Miami Invitational.
Following the conclusion of the season, 20 student-athletes were named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Organ’s leadership was never more evident than during the pandemic season of 2020–21, when he worked to get the Commodores several competition opportunities in a limited campaign while keeping the safety and well-being of the student-athletes a top priority. Despite the challenges facing the program, 20 Dores made the SEC Academic Honor Roll at the end of the year.
In 2019–20, Organ helped lead the Dores to a 6-6 overall record. At the mid-season TYR ’85 Invite, several swimmers earned podium finishes and notched personal- and season-best times as Vandy finished third in the team standings. At the 2020 SEC Championships, the Commodores tabbed 14 personal records and a new school standard in the 100-yard breaststroke to conclude the season, while out of the pool 21 student-athletes—the most in program history—were on the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
After bringing in a strong freshman class, Organ and the Commodores recorded a 6-4 overall mark during the 2018–19 campaign. Multiple swimmers posted season- and personal-best times at the Houston Invite before wrapping up the campaign setting a new school record in the 100 backstroke and multiple freshman records at the 2019 SEC Championships. In addition, 15 individuals were on the SEC Academic Honor Roll at the end of the year.
Under his direction, multiple swimmers took the podium at the Phil Hansel Invitational in 2017–18 before going on to set personal bests and school records at the SEC Championships and the CSCAA National Invitational Championship en route to a 4-4 finish. That came after the Dores set a pair of school standards to the SEC Championships the previous winter, with Vandy placing a double-figure total on the SEC Academic Honor Rolls both seasons.
Organ led the Commodores to a school-record 10 dual-meet victories during the 2014–15 campaign before breaking eight program records at the SEC Championships, with five freshman standards falling that winter as well. Vandy finished with an 8-7 mark under his guidance in 2015–16—the first time since the program was resurrected in 2006 that the Dores achieved back-to-back winning seasons—highlighted by six school records set by members of a second-year recruiting class, while all four freshmen contributed at the league meet.
Organ’s team broke 14 school records at the 2013 SEC Championships, only to see the group outdo that performance by setting 15 new standards at the event the following winter, as six individuals posted NCAA B-cut times.
After rebuilding the program from scratch beginning in 2006, Organ led the Dores to their first dual-meet victory in more than 15 years after sweeping Centre (Ky.) and Rhodes (Tenn.) in October 2008. Vandy added defeats of Centenary and Marshall the following season, with another win over Marshall’s Thundering Herd coming during the 2010–11 campaign. His squad picked up a pair of victories in dual meets the next winter before setting multiple program records at the SEC Championships.
Before coming to Vanderbilt, Organ served as the senior assistant coach of the Nashville Aquatic Club, one of swimming’s most competitive club teams. While coaching the NAC, Organ mentored six national championship qualifiers in addition to assisting 20 swimmers earn Division I scholarships. He also served as the senior coach at the Greater Pensacola Aquatic Club. While in Pensacola, he helped produce several national qualifiers and national age group top-16 swimmers.
In addition to those performances, Organ helped the GPAC nearly double the members of the senior swim program in just two years, while the NAC program grew to more than 300 swimmers in his time with the organization.
A six-time All-American in North Dakota, Organ was named the North Central Conference Swimmer of the Year in 1995 before going on to earn his undergraduate degree in physical education the following year at the University of North Dakota. In 2022, he was presented the Tom Clifford Award—which recognizes UND alumni who serve as athletics coaches at the high school or collegiate level and have been notably successful in their sport—by the UND Letterwinners Association.
After graduation, Organ stayed with North Dakota to become head assistant coach from 1996 to 2000. He helped establish the swimming strength and conditioning program while also supervising student-athletes’ academic progress and implementing community service programs. While working as a coach at UND, Organ also served as the head coach for the Forks Area Swim Team, and during that time he garnered North Dakota Age Group Coach of the Year honors in 1998 and ’99.
A native of Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada, Organ is married to the former Margaret Davidson. They have two daughters, Ella and Kathryn Rose, and are the owners of two dogs, Nash and Napa.