Coaches and Directors

Coaches and Directors
Coaching Staff
Kenneth O'Reilly Head Coach; National-Sectional Coach
Ken is beginning his 33rd year coaching in NJ, his 25th season  with our club and 22nd season as Head Coach / CEO.  He also has experience working with Olympic Coach Mark Schubert at the Swim with Schubert Swim Camp.  Throughout his 33 years of coaching experience he has coached all different ability levels and age groups including USS Top 10 / Top 16 Age Group swimmers, NJ State Champions, NJ State Record-holders, YMCA National Swimmers, Sectional Qualifiers, Sectional Champions, USS Junior National swimmers, USS Junior National Champions, USS Senior National swimmers, USS Senior National Finalists, World Championship trial qualifiers and Olympic Trial qualifiers.  The American Swim Coaches Association (ASCA) recognizes Coach O’Reilly as a Level 5 USS Coach.  Ken was a speaker at the ASCA World Clinic in 2000 and has had several articles published in ASCA's "American Swimming" magazine as well as produced educational materials for ASCA.  He has also traveled the country and spent time sharing and observing technique and training methods with as many as 20 of the USA's and World's top Coaches and swimming programs in the last 25 years.  He holds an Undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Manhattan College and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Montclair State University.  In addition to coaching, Ken works as a Computer Applications teacher in Paramus.  Ken and his wife Monika have 2 children, Aislinn and Elena.  
Erin Miller Head Age Group: Senior Prep Coach

Erin was the 2006 ASCA Age Group Coach of the Year for the State of New Jersey.  This past year she was named as one of the Top 10 Age Group (12/under) coaches in the country. She has  30 years experience coaching all ages and abilities. Erin has literally coached at mini meets all the way up to Senior Nationals.   Erin is known for her many years at New Jersey Wave where she coached many Sectional level swimmers, High Point Winners, National top 16 Ranked swimmers and State Record Holders.  She was also the Head Coach for the summer team, Paramus Pacers for 12 years where they were League Champions many times.   Erin was awarded  The Craig Beardsley Award in 1999, and was also coached by the former World Record Holder. Erin has represented New Jersey as an Eastern Zone Coach four times. Erin had the opportunity to train at The Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Co at a National Select Camp.  Erin's drills have been featuredon the  USA Swimming website.   She was a Junior National finalist in the 200 fly, as well as a NJCAA All American in the same event.  Erin is married to Tom Miller, and has two amazing children Alex and Emma who is starting Ithaca College this Fall. Erin completed the 2009 ING NYC Marathon in her father’s memory. Erin is an ASCA level 3 and a Certified Pool Operator.  She has a unique mix of toughness, caring and fun that is hard to find in coaches today!!

Gergely Kiss Assistant - National-Sectional Group

Coach Kiss was born and raised in Hungary and started swimming at age 6. He spent grades 1-8 in a sport accredited elementary school where he attended morning and afternoon swim practices as part of the school curriculum. By age 10 he was selected to join the elite program of world-renowned Coach Jozsef Nagy. The practices were intense and demanding but served to fuel Coach Greg’s passion for swimming through his high school years.

 

Coach Greg’s hard work in the pool paid off and he was a multiple time Age Group Champion in 200 IM and 200 freestyle. But his most memorable and impressive race and the one that remains closest to his heart was his 6th place finish in 200 IM at the Hungarian Open National Swimming Competition at only 14 years of age.

 

Upon high school graduation he moved to the United States with his parents. He married his beautiful wife, Anita with whom he has two sons with an inherited love and talent for swimming.

 

Coach Kiss had responsibility for many groups and levels at the Wyckoff YMCA from 2014-2021 ranging from intro program to Junior National qualifiers.  He also served as Assistant Coach for 2 years at Ramapo High School.

 

Swimming was always Coach Kiss' favorite sport, but he also enjoyed playing water polo.  He established, ran and participated in the Water Polo Club for teens and adults at the Wyckoff YMCA.

 

Coach Kiss is excited to share his passion for swimming and hopes to help to grow and nurture the love of the sport in the hearts of his swimmers. 

Brian Hoffman Asst-National and Senior Performance
Brian is beginning his 26th year coaching in New Jersey.  He previously was the Senior Coach at the Cougar Aquatic Team and before that he was the Head Age Group Coach at both the Ridgewood YMCA and the Montclair YMCA.  Throughout his coaching career, he has coached all different ability levels and age groups including USS Top 16 Age Group Swimmers, State Champions, NJ State Record Holders, High Point Winners, YMCA National Qualifiers, National Age Group Record Holder, Sectional Qualifiers, Futures Qualifiers, Junior and Senior National Qualifiers, World Cup Qualifiers and Olympic Trial Level Swimmers. 
 
Brian has been selected to the National Age Group Conferences at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in 2010 and 2005 and to Coach the YMCA National High Altitude Training Camp in 2006 also at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He was named 2007 ASCA Age Group Coach of the Year and selected by New Jersey Swimming as an Eastern Zones Coach 11 times.  Brian swam at Montclair State University where he was a Captain and an All-Conference swimmer studying Physical Education and Health.
Brian Frazer Senior Elite Coach

Brian has been coaching swimming for 25 years and is honored to be starting his 11th season with the team. Over the years he has had the pleasure of coaching many different groups, including assisting Coach Ken with National-Sectional. Brian has a penchant for connecting with all swimmers regardless of ability level. He started competitive swimming with the Ridgewood Breakers at age 9 and instantly fell in love with the sport. As a teenager, Brian transferred to New Jersey Wave and swam under Frank McElroy. He attended Montclair University where he competed on both the swim team and track and field team. He currently works as a Radiologic Technologist and lives with his wife Vanessa who also swam competitively for the team. 

Dave Leshnower Age Group Coach

I am super excited to come on board as the newest member of the Scarlet Aquatics Swim Team. 

MY COACHING PHILOSOPHY

I am a lifelong learner who believes that personal discipline and the pursuit of one's personal greatness are the building blocks in the foundation of empowered young people in and out of sport. 

GROUP APPROACH 

CULTURE is the name of the game here. My group culture centers on the tenets of: discipline; investing in oneself as a learner in sport; Hard work IS A TALENT. Through the best technical coaching expertise that I can muster, all SCARLET swimmers will improve upon their current competencies and continually strive to develop themselves as athletes in each stroke discipline, as well as competitive racing skills and strategies for all levels of development. I am focused upon building the strongest swimming IQ for our Age Groupers as they prepare for the next levels in swimming with Scarlet Aquatics. We are all leaders with different levels of experience. Together, our combined uniqueness will buoy our team to its best experience for all in the future. 

MY “SWIM STORY”

My swim journey began on a small summer lake team at age 8, and I totally could not swim a lick with my head in the water. Thrashing around the lanes at Cliffwood Lake, I tried club swimming at age 12 and my passion for the sport took hold of me for the first time! I swam in college for East Stroudsburg University for two seasons. The men’s team was cut and I began my coaching career at the Pocono Family YMCA at age 20.  It’s been a wild ride for the past 30+ years coaching for Mountain Lakes, Cruiser Club, LHY, Fayson Lakes, William Paterson University, and Mountain Lakes HS. First time pre-team swimmers, summer swimmers, club state and national level swimmers alike from all over the Morris-Sussex area have developed successfully under my leadership and flourished to become more competent along their individual and/or team journeys to greatness. 

PERSONAL

I have been a middle school PE teacher and coach in the Mountain Lakes School District for 29 years.  I have four amazing children who are 22, 21, 19, and 18 years old. I can always be found outdoors. My favorite activities are: cooking, hiking, biking, running, rock climbing, and swimming. My personal goal is to strive to BE THE GOOD IN THE WORLD. My athletic goals are to run THEE Marathon in Greece, and complete an IronMan Triathlon in 2023. 

 

FUN FACTS

I’m learning to play the harmonica and have started writing a book. I rode my bicycle 205 miles in one day from High Point NJ to Cape May last summer. My favorite band is Lynyrd Skynyrd. I make a great jambalaya…and key lime pie! My favorite podcast is Jocko Willink. My favorite person to spend time with is Brenda. 

Dave Leshnower

BE LIEVE 

THE RE IS 

GOOD IN THE WORLD

 
Michelle Limbacher Age Group 2 Coach
Michelle has been coaching swimming for over 20 years. She dedicates coaching time with technique and building competition training focusing on the swimmers to always do their best. She has coached on The Atlantic Club as well as being a founding coach for Skyy Swim Team.  Currently, she is the Head Coach of Paramus Pacers where she has coached every summer for over for 15 years.  She is a graduate from Lafayette College and has two masters concentrating on Performance Enhancement: Sports Psychology from University of Connecticut and Education from Farleigh Dickinson University. She has over 20 years experience as a teacher and is presently the Lead Teacher of the World Language Department at Paramus High School.  In her spare time, Michelle sits as the vice chairwoman for the 4th of July Committee for Paramus and spends time with her husband Rich and three swimming children Richie, Ashlee and Luke.
 
Ari Ludzki Super Squad Coach
Ella Lebet Assistant Coach - Super Squad
Ella Lebet is from Fair Lawn and has been swimming since she was five years old. She spent twelve years swimming for the Radburn swim team along with her high school team. She was so honored when she was brought back to Radburn to help coach. She mainly worked with five to eight year olds with little to no swimming experience. Within six weeks she taught them the four strokes and basic pool safety, like treading water. According to Emma, "It was such an amazing experience where I learned so much. I have to say I was so proud of the kids and how far they came this summer. I also spend my summers at the pool, pretty much everyday, as a lead lifeguard". 
 
Board of Directors
Glenn Sr. Hilzen Meet Director / Board Member
Nina Degnan Meet Entry Coordinator / Team Secretary
Anne Cervone Communications Chairperson