On March 3, 2017, former Wheaton College (Ill.) Athletics Director Julie Davis announced the hiring of Jacob Ayers '97 as the new head coach of the Wheaton men's swimming & diving program. Ayers also serves as the Aquatics Director of the Jonathan Lederhouse Natatorium.
The Thunder men's swimming & diving team has finished in the top three of the CCIW Championship standings in every season of Ayers' tenure, including earning five-consecutive second-place finishes between 2018 and 2023. Ayers has coached three All-Americans in his time at Wheaton, including three-time honorees, Anthony Fitzgerald and Chris Szymczak. Fitzgerald was recognized as the CCIW Men's Swimming Athlete of the Year on three occasions and also earned the title of CCIW Men's Student-Athlete of the Year among all conference sports in 2023-24. Additionally, Wheaton has had Most Valuable Men's Swimming Athlete, Dennis Ryan Most Outstanding Performer, and Men's First-Year Athlete of the Meet winners at the CCIW Championships on consecutive occasions under Ayers' guidance.
Prior to his appointment as Wheaton's head coach, Jacob Ayers served as head coach of the Community Unit School District 200 swim teams from 2000-17, serving as the only coach in the program's history. He was recognized as an IHSA Sectional Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2009. From 2004-17, Ayers also coached and operated Wheaton Swim Club, Inc., a local age-group swimming club that has produced numerous state finalists, collegiate All-Americans, and three Olympic Trials qualifiers.
Ayers is a 1997 graduate of Wheaton, earning a B.A. in German Language and Literature. He served as a team captain of the 1996-97 Wheaton squad that won a CCIW Championship. He is a five-time CCIW Champion in individual events and a member of five CCIW champion relay squads.
Ayers noted following his appointment as Wheaton's head coach, "Wheaton's swimming and diving programs have always enjoyed a high level of success. My goals for the program from a competitive standpoint would be to continue that success by annually being in contention for a CCIW team title; qualifying individuals each year for the NCAA Championships; and ultimately aiming for national top-ten team finishes. From a broader perspective, I hope to achieve those goals by helping each athlete reach their potential. And in an even broader sense, I hope the team will continue to be known on campus and throughout the CCIW as a community of Christ-centered leaders who show God's love to the wider world."
