On July 1, 2025, Sun Devil Swimming and head coach Herbie Behm announced the promotion to associate head coach for Derek Schmitt.
Helping the Sun Devils rise to a top-25 program, Schmitt has overseen many professional swimmers who have trained at Arizona State and helped the men's team win three straight conference titles, including their first Big 12 championship this past March. Schmitt has overseen the rise of Sun Devil Swimming and possesses a contagious energy that every student-athlete on the team admires.
“Derek has been an integral part of this program for 10 years now who has helped build this program brick by brick. He has a contagious energy that every athlete on our team loves. He is an incredible coach and an incredible leader. We’re so lucky that he’s part of this team. No one deserves this promotion more than Derek.” said head coach Herbie Behm.
Before his promotion to assistant coach ahead of the 2016-17 season, Schmitt served as a graduate assistant coach for the Sun Devil swimming team during the 2015-16 season, where he helped Bowman in the planning, organization, and execution of both the collegiate and post-graduate Olympic practice groups. He also assisted Bowman with refining stroke technique and swimmer skill development.
Prior to Arizona State, Schmitt served as the lead assistant coach for the Plymouth-Canton Cruisers Bronze Medal club team. Coaching over 100 swimmers, Schmitt led the planning and execution of practice between four to six times a week. He wrote and conducted age-appropriate workouts to grow the swimmers technical skills and development.
Schmitt also served as a coaching intern for the University of Tennessee and a manager at the University of Pittsburgh. Schmitt swam competitively at the University of Ohio (2006-07) where he received the Fletcher Gilders Memorial Award as the most improved student-athlete and the Tad Potter Memorial Award for exemplary conduct, leadership, sportsmanship, fellowship and courage. Schmitt also competed as a member of the Pitt Varsity Swimming program (2007-08).
The Michigan native graduated in 2015 with a bachelor's of science degree in sports management from Eastern Michigan, where he founded the school's club disc golf team. He is currently enrolled in the Sports Law and Business master's program at Arizona State.