Coach Rocky Smith comes to Tiger Aquatics as the former Head Coach of Bulldog Aquatic Club, located in Ruston, Louisiana.  He was at BAC for 7 years; 3 years as Head Coach and 4 years as Assistant Coach.  

Rocky is a former TAQ swimmer and began his coaching career at Magnolia Woods Summer League, here in Baton Rouge.

Rocky is a graduate of Louisiana Tech, and during his 4 years there he coached the age-group program at BAC. 

As the Head Coach of BAC, Rocky had led the team to significant growth and success with both the Age-Group and Senior swimmers.

Margot is a native of Gretna, outside of New Orleans where she attended Arden Cahill Academy and Archbishop Blenk High School. She started her swimming career in Louisiana as a 6 year old and swam middle school, high school and on year-round teams until she went to college in 1998. She was team captain her senior year and a three-year letter recipient. She was a state qualifier at Archbishop Blenk High School in Back and Fly in 1996, 1997, 1998. Her favorite events are 100 back and 100 fly and she loves teaching stroke technique.

Margot began teaching swim lessons through the Swim America at Arden Cahill in 1991 and has been on the pool deck, since.  During her high school and college years (1995-2002) she was with Bellemeade Swim Clubs and was the pool manager, head coach and swim instructor.

Margot restarted her coaching career in 2013 with opening of Greystone Golf and Country Clubs new swim team and has been part of the growing new program in Livingston Parish since.  She started the middle school/junior high program for Livingston Parish in 2017 and started coaching the CUBS/PAWS in Denham Springs group in 2017 where she currently presides as the Head Site coach at the Denham Springs PARDS location.

Margot is a graduated from LSU in 2003, in Advertising and Audio Visual Arts. After running a publishing and graphic design company for 15 years, she steps away to coach and teach full time. Coach Margot teaches 8th grade Quest for Success, Graphic Design and La History at Southside Jr High. She currently lives in Denham Springs with her husband, Bryan, 3 children – Laird, Berkley and Tucker May and her black lab. 

Head Swim Coach Bellemeade Swim Club 1998-2001

Assistant swim coach - Greystone Golf and Country Club 2012

Head Swim Coach Greystone Golf Country Club 2013 - present

Head Swim Coach 
Juban Parc Junior High 2018 - 2021

5th grade - Seventh Ward Elementary 2018 - 2021

5th grade - Lewis Vincent Elementary 2018 - 2021

Head Swim Coach Southside Jr High 2017- present

Swim Coach Denham Springs High School 2022-present

Graham Carter is entering his 3rd year with Tiger Aquatics. He is the Lead Coach for the Tigers group at the LSU site.

Graham has been swimming year-round for over 10 years and was a Louisiana State Qualifier.  His senior year of high school, Graham was Team Captain. His best events were the 100 and 200 Buterfly. 

Graham has coached summer league for the past 4 years and is super excited to coach for Tiger Aquatics.

Graham is a junior at LSU, majoring in Agricultural Business.

I am a recent graduate of LSU with a degree in Kinesiology, concentrated in Pre-Occupational Therapy. I’m originally from Thibodaux, Louisiana, where I went to E.D.White Catholic High School and helped win 4 State Championships.

I began swimming at age 9 and have been involved in the sport ever since, competing in summer league, middle school, club, and high school swim. I started teaching swim lessons and coaching summer league at age 15. My best events were 200/500 free and 100 back. 

I am super excited to keep working with the Tigers!

Coach Ellie Balwin enters her 3rd season as the Lead Coach of the Jr Tigers at the LSU site. Coach Ellie previously coached the Cubs and Paws group over the 2023 summer season.

Coach Ellie was just recently hired as the Director of Operations and Facility Manager for the LSU Swimming and Diving Team under Coach Rick Bishop. Prior to being hired Ellie was the gradute assistant for the collegiate team and before that a member of the Women's LSU Swimming and Diving Team where she specilaized in 50, 100, 200, and 500 Freestyle, 100 & 200 Backstroke, and the 100 Butterfly. 

Prior to coming to the United States Ellie Balwin was a member of the City of Derby Swimming Club … Represented England at the 2014 Portuguese Nationals in Lisbon, winning gold in the 4×100 medley relay … Represented England Central at the 2015 UK School Games, finishing with four medals (one gold, two silver, one bronze) … Represented England at the 2015 Energy Standard Cup in England, winning silver in 100m, 200m back, 4×100 medley relay … Took part in the 2015 British Championships, winning gold in 100m, 200m backstroke … Competed at the 2015 British Summer Championships and won silver in 50m, 100m, 200m backstroke … Won bronze in 200 back at 2016 British Championships … Competed at the 2016 British Summer Championships, winning silver in 100m backstroke, 4×100 medley relay.

Coach Ellie was born on February 17th, 1999. Her parents are Iain and Vicky Baldwin. She has two sisters, Francesca and Hannah. She received her undergraduate degree in Animal Sciences. Coach Ellie was engaged in early 2022 and was married to  Zachary Vicknair in 2024!

Pierce Duhe is in his 3rd year with Tiger Aquatics and is the Lead Coach of  the Jr Tigers group at the LSU site. He is a junior at LSU.

Pierce has worked with kids of all ages for years in New Orleans and truly enjoys the teaching aspect of coaching. Swimming has always been a very passionate part of his life, and he loves being able to help others become motivated. Pierce enjoys seeing how much the sport is able to boost the confidence and upbringing of others, as well as, teaching kids how to work properly as a team. As both a camp counselor and a swim coach, Pierce has helped kids of all ages "come out of their shell," and truly believes swimming is one of the best sports for that. 

Pierece is a native of New Orleans where he swam for New Orleans Aquatics and Del La Salle. 

Grace Carter is in her 3rd year as an assistant coach of Tiger Aquatics and is the lead coach of Cubs & Paws at the LSU Site. 

She has been swimming all her life - summer league, high school and year round swim since she was 5 years old. Grace was a state qualifier from 2012 to 2021. Her best events were the 200/100 backstroke. She has been coaching and giving swim lessons the past 5 summers.

She will be in her 3rd year managing the LSU Swim team. 

Grace grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana and attended Byrd High School where she graduated in the top of her class.  Both of her parents were collegiate swimmers and she has one younger brother who also swims.

Currently Grace is a junior at LSU majoring in kinesiology.

Emily Deaton is a junior at LSU and is in her second year of coaching TAQ's Cubs and Paws. Emily swam for LCats growing up in Alexandria, LA, and has taught private in-water one-on-one and small group lessons for children of all ages through COAST.

At TAQ, Emily began coaching alongside Coach Grace Carter in August 2024 and has helped developed the strengths and fitness of children as young as six.

Growing up, Emily would compete around the state, including in Baton Rouge at LSU's Natatorium. She was a specialist in butterfly and freestyle, especially in short distance sprint events. Emily is excited to be able to work with Cubs and Paws on their swimming knowledge as well as fitness.

Kilian is a senior at LSU, majoring in Business. He was a member of the LSU Swimming and Diving Team for 3 years.

Kilian has been swimming for over 15 years and is in his first year coaching with the Paws and Cubs groups. Kilian has worked with young swimmers over the years at several camps and clinics and enjoys helping to build the next generation of swimmers.