By Terin Frodyma on SwimSwam
Edina Swim Club (Minn.) has announced that head coach Jeff Rodriguez, who had served in the role for nearly 30 years, has been fired, effective immediately, after an investigation by the team’s Board found that he had been using the program’s funds for personal expenses.
In an email sent to club members, it was noted that Rodriguez has “committed to repay any outstanding amount as soon as possible.”
The letter continued: “We recognize the seriousness of this situation and the trust our members place in the Board to safeguard the club and its resources. We are implementing additional financial controls and oversight measures to strengthen our processes and help ensure that a situation like this does not occur again.”
How much money was spent and what it was spent on was not mentioned in the letter to membership.
That same announcement mentioned that the team will begin its national search for a new head coach. In the meantime, Nicole Helmen, who has been leading the Age Group Gold, Age Group Silver, and Gator 3 Groups since 2020, will step in as the interim Head Coach, while still overseeing the training for her former groups.
This position means she will lead National and Senior Gold groups during the search. Once a replacement is hired, she will resume her position as the Head Age Group Coach.
Rodriguez began with the team in 1997 as an assistant coach, later moving up to Head Age Group Coach in 1998, a role that included three consecutive Minnesota state championships in 1998, 1999, and 2000.
He was named to the staff of the USA Central Zone National Select Camp in 2015, and in 2016, was nominated for the Fitter and Faster Age Group Coach of the Year.
The email from the Edina Swim Club Board also mentioned that both Adam Gannon (lead coach for Gator 1B, Gator 2, Age Group Prep B, Age Group Bronze, and the Masters team) and Cole Bateman (lead coach for Senior Silver and Senior Bronze) would keep their current positions in the club as the search for a new Head Coach continues.
The Edina Swim Club in suburban Minneapolis has around 400 competitive swimmers. The club is recognized as a Silver Medal Club in the 2025-2026 USA Swimming Club Excellence Rankings, making it one of the top 50 clubs in the United States.
The full letter from the club:
Important Update from the Edina Swim Club Board
Dear Edina Swim Club Members,
The Edina Swim Club Board needs to share some very difficult news with our membership today.
Our Head Coach, Jeff Rodriguez, will be leaving the Club, effective immediately. This action follows a thorough investigation conducted by the Board after it discovered that Jeff had used Club funds for personal expenses. The Board responded promptly to these concerns and took this and other appropriate action based on the findings of its investigation. Jeff has committed to repay any outstanding amount as soon as possible.
We recognize the seriousness of this situation and the trust our members place in the Board to safeguard the club and its resources. We are implementing additional financial controls and oversight measures to strengthen our processes and help ensure that a situation like this does not occur again.
We know this news will be difficult and concerning for many in our community. Throughout this transition, our priority remains the well-being and continued development of our swimmers, the stability of our coaching staff, and the long-term strength of the Edina Swim Club.
Coaching Leadership and Next Steps
The Board will begin a national search for a new Head Coach in the coming days. In the interim, Nicole Helmen will serve as Interim Head Coach and assume responsibility for the club’s day-to-day coaching leadership. She will serve as the Head Coach for our National and Senior Gold groups during this period. Once a permanent Head Coach is hired, Nicole will return to her role as Head Age Group Coach.
Nicole will also continue to oversee the training strategy and plans for Age Group Gold, Age Group Silver, and Gator 3. We will ensure that these groups have strong interim coaching leadership on deck to execute those plans, and Nicole will continue to spend time on deck with these swimmers throughout the interim period.
Cole and Adam will remain in their current positions with the club. We are grateful to Nicole, Cole, Adam, and our entire coaching team for their commitment to our swimmers and families. As a Board, we remain committed to upholding the mission and values of the Edina Swim Club and to maintaining the trust of our members. We will communicate additional information about permanent coaching leadership and other relevant updates as they become available in the coming weeks.
We understand that members will have questions. Please refer to the attached Q&A for additional information.
Thank you for your continued support of our swimmers, coaches, and the Edina Swim Club community.
The Edina Swim Club Board
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