Coaches and Directors

Coaches and Directors
Coaching Staff
Ellen Johnston Head Coach
Ellen, who was named Head Coach in the spring of 2012, celebrated 30 years with the Water Rat Swim Team in 2016. Ellen joined the team in November 1986 as an assistant coach, working with swimmers at every level in the program. She quickly became a full-time assistant coach and was promoted to Senior Coach in 1990. Prior to working in Westport, Ellen coached at the Bulldog Swim Club in Bowie, Maryland, where she was the Senior II and Head Age Group Coach. She also coached all levels of the South Carolina Aquatic Team in Columbia. Ellen was named YMCA National Coach of the Year in 2015.  She also has been named Connecticut Senior Coach of the Year twice and was nominated for the honor again in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Ellen strives to help her swimmers mature as individuals as they progress from the age group to senior level and she encourages them to challenge themselves physically and mentally every day.
Kristen Finnegan Age Group Coordinator

Level 3 ASCA Certification

Kristen, a valued member of the Water Rat coaching staff since 2012, currently leads our Discovery I and II groups and serves as the Age Group Coordinator, overseeing all 12&Under practice groups.  She has coached several CT Age Group Champions, Eastern Zone Champions, National Age Group Top 10, and CT State and Resident Record holders within the Discovery program.

Kristen began her journey at the Family Y in 2006 as a swim instructor. She has served several seasons on the Connecticut Zone Team Coaching Staff, the Staples High School Girls’ team as well as 5 years as the full time Assistant Swim Coach at Sacred Heart University, a Division 1 women’s program in Fairfield, CT.

Kristen graduated from St. John’s University in 2011 with a degree in Biology and holds a Graduate Certificate in Leadership from Sacred Heart University.  She is actively involved in Governance, serving on the Connecticut Swimming Inc. Board of Directors, the Connecticut Swimming Inc. Age Group Committee, as well as heading the Women’s Initiative Task Force.  In 2025 she was named 1 of 54 participants from around the country to take part in the USA Swimming Women In Governance Program and in November 2025 was honored as the Connecticut Swimming 2024-2025 Bill Krumm Age Group Coach of the Year.

Todd Stevens Lead Coach Senior 3 and Challenger 2

Todd joined the Water Rats September 2025.  Coach Todd has been a competitive swim coach for 37 years.  His most recent stint was 27 years with the Wilton Wahoos and Wilton High School.  During Coach Todd's career, he has been recognized as the ASCA Coach of the Year, FCIAC Coach of the Year, CHSCA and CISCA Coach of the Year.  He has also volunteered within CT Swimming in various capacities. Coach Todd is the lead coach of Challenger 2 and Senior 3 as well as assisting on deck as needed with other practice groups.

Rich Carter Lead Coach Discovery 3 and Challenger 1

Rich joined the Water Rat Coaching staff the Spring of 2019, working mainly with the Senior Group. Rich is a native of New Canaan who swam for the Water Rats from 1988 to 1996 under coach Ellen Johnston. During his swimming career he set multiple team and state records on the way to becoming an Eastern Zone champion and Y National finalist. He began his coaching career with the St. Croix Dolphins Swim Team before becoming the head swimming and water polo coach at Canterbury School in New Milford, CT. Under coach Carter’s guidance saints swimmers broke twenty three school records over four seasons.Rich attended Villanova University where he was a standout defenseman for the Wildcats division I lacrosse program. Rich will continue assisting with the senior program and also assist with coaching our age group swimmers.  Rich is a great asset to our team as he brings many years of coaching expertise in both swimming and lacrosse and has worked with children of all age groups.

John Whiteside Lead 8/Under Coach
John joined our coaching staff in the Fall of 2022.  He mainly coaches our 8/unders and pre-competitive swimmers. Raised in Fairfield, CT, John is a former Water Rat. After graduating Fairfield Ludlowe HS in 2016, John went on to swim at the University of Virginia. At the 2016 YMCA Short Course National Championships, John was the Y Nationals Champion in the 100 Freestyle, earning him a spot on our Team's Wall of Excellence. In addition to coaching, John also works as a Special Ed Paraprofessional at an elementary school in Fairfield. In his free time, John avoids the pool, but loves to cook and to hike.
Omar Cruz Assistant Coach
Level 3 ASCA Certification
Omar joins the Water Rat family as an assistant with the senior practice groups.  Most recently, Omar spent 15 years as Head Coach with the Zeus Swim Team where he has had much success on a local, regional, and national level.  Omar left ZEUS as he has become managing partner of Executive Real Estate Premier Properties, a real estate business in Westport.  Helping with the senior team a couple of days a week allows Omar to continue to follow his passion of coaching, but also to spend the time needed to be successful with his real estate business and more importantly, to spend time with his family.
Jamie Gremp Assistant 8/under Coach
Jamie joined the Water Rats in the Late Fall of 2019.  Jamie has had a a lot of coaching experience prior to joining the Water Rats.  Following a swimming career in high school at the Badger Swim Club and college at Fordham University, where she graduated in 2004, Jamie coached at American University in Washington, D.C. from 2004-2005, University of Connecticut from 2005-2006, Missouri State University from 2007-2009 and then at the College of New Rochelle from 2009-2013.  Jamie has also coached at several summer clubs, in New York and Connecticut over the years.  Jamie brings her many years of coaching experience to our 8/under group, primarily working with the Blue team but also helping out with the Red Group. 
Charles Nadel Assistant Coach
Adrienne Williams Team Administrator
Adrienne is our Team Administrator.  She is involved in team registration, meet management, team apparel orders, communications between swim families, the coaching staff, and Y staff, and maintaining the team's website.  She served as Co-President of the Westport Water Rats Parents' Club from September 2011 to August 2014. She served as the Meet Chair from September 2009 – August 2011 and helped managed and planned all aspects of team-hosted swim meets working with the Head Coach and meet managers.  Adrienne’s children grew up with the Water Rats program and one of them swam in college.  Adrienne has her Law Degree from George Washington University and B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. She practiced law for thirteen years before staying at home to raise her children and becoming a swim mom.
Board of Directors