Coach Kraus starts his 4th season and 3rd as head coach at Gianesville High School.  You can hear "Go race and have fun" a lot on deck during meets and his focus on working hard and being kind to your teammates are his base goals for the program and the swimmers and divers as they develope through the season.

Coach Leonard Kraus is in his 12th year coaching the MAKOS and has been coaching competitive swimming for over 30 years.  Over his first eleven years the MAKOS have grown in number as well as continued to raise in the rankings at both the FLAGS & Senior State Championships as well as added an Olympic Trails Qualifier and Southern Zone Individual Champion. Coach Kraus has also been selected to coach both the LSC's All-Star and Southern Zone Teams.

Prior to the MAKOS, Coach Kraus spent 9 years as the founding head coach for Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.  While at Marshall, Coach Kraus had multiple NCAA division I qualifiers as well as conference champions in Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference.  Coach Kraus also led several of his international athletes to their Olympic Trail meets in their respective countries. In addition to his collegiate coaching in Huntington, Coach Kraus also served as an assistant coach for the Huntington YMCA Charleston Aquatic Team program, as well as the West Virginia Swimming LSC General Chair (two years), Age Group Chair (four years) and WV Zone Team Head Coach.

Prior to becoming the Head Coach at Marshall Coach Kraus spent 3 years at the University of Toledo and 3 years at Ball State University as the Head Assistant Coach at both programs.  During this time, Coach Kraus was able to work with numerous conference champions and NCAA qualifiers.

Coach Kraus spent the early years of his career coaching at the club level as the Head Coach for the Cardinal Community Swim Club in Muncie, Indiana.  While at Cardinal Coach Kraus led several of his athletes to the USA Junior and Senior National meets.

Coach Kraus graduated from Ball State with a Major in Sport Administration with minors in Business and Aquatics/Coaching.  While at Ball State he swam for Coach Bob Thomas and also played Water Polo. 

Coach Kraus is an American Swim Coaches Association (ASCA) Level 4 coach and continues to expand his knowledge of the sport of swimming.  Coach Kraus is a USA registered Coach and is certified in CPR, AED, First Aid and Lifeguarding.

Coach Leonard Kraus and his wife Joy Kraus have been married for 23 years and have two daughters that have both swam competitively; Alena (22) is a multiple time HS All American, NCAA All-American and Olympic Trial semi finalist is now a senior swimmer at the University of Louisville and Makayla (20) who was a state and futures finalist and now a sophomore at the University of Florida and also a Makos coach.

Coach Rob Ramirez has been the Gainesville High School head swim coach for the last 31 years. Coach Rob has lead Gainesville to many city, district, regional and State Championships (Boys in 2011; Girls in 2015). He has also been named Coach of the Year multiple times and has had numerous Top 3 finishers at State and All-American performers!

Coach Ramirez has been employed by the Alachua County School Board for the last 35 years.  His first 14 years at A. Quinn Jones Center he was responsible for implementing a Physical Education program, a first of its kind, and for the last 21 years Rob has been Dean of Students.

Coach Rob Ramirez was born in 29 Palms California, in the upper Mojave Desert.  Rob grew up in a military family traveling and living all around the United States.  As a swimmer Rob was a High School All-American, a University of Florida All-American (5-time) and a world ranked swimmer.  Coach Rob is still ranked in the top 100 all time in his 50 free!

Coach Rob is happily married to his lovely wife, Susan, and they have been together for 34 years. They are the proud parents of Carly and Lily.  Lily was a High School All-American (12-time) at GHS and followed her dad to swim at UF.  Carly is a Junior at UF.  She swam and was active in the Performing Arts in Gainesville.

When Coach Rob is not coaching or teaching he enjoys the outdoors.