Coaches

Coaching Staff
Kevin Clements Head Coach
Head Coach Kevin Clements has been involved with the sport of swimming for over 30 years. He is a Southern California native, growing up in Rowland Heights and attending Rowland High School. In 1998, Coach Kevin earned a scholarship to swim at Auburn University and continued improving throughout college, ultimately going on to swim professionally for Speedo. A 14-time NCAA All-American at Auburn and former American Record Holder, Coach Kevin will now serve as the Head Coach of SOCA having worked more than 9 years as a collegiate coach and 8 years as a high school Head Coach. Coach Kevin brings with him a great deal of swimming knowledge ranging from his international experience to winning an NCAA team championship. In 2005, Coach Kevin started his career in coaching at the University of Maryland. In his first year, he coached UMD’s first ACC Champion in the 400 IM. After a three year stint at UMD, Coach Kevin took a position at Louisiana State University for two years before landing at the University of Southern California from 2010-2014. Throughout his collegiate coaching career, Coach Kevin has been integral in the continued development of over 25 Olympians from nearly 15 different countries at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. He’s also coached over 100 NCAA qualifiers, 20+ NCAA Champions, World and American Record Holders, and CIF Champions. As an athlete, Coach Clements was a standout swimmer for Auburn from 1999-2002. His collegiate achievements include:  

- 5-Time SEC Individual Champion
- 14-Time NCAA All-American
- 4-Time SEC Team Champion (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002)
- 2-Time SEC Conference Scoring Champion (2001 & 2002)
- 5-Time Auburn record holder (1650 fr, 500 fr, 400 IM, 400m fr, 400m IM)
- 1999 NCAA Team Champion
- 1999 World University Games (800m fr)
- Auburn High Point Champion (2000 NCAA Championships)
- American Record Holder in the 400 IM (2000 NCAA Championships)
- 2000 USA Olympic Trials (3rd - 200m IM; 4th - 400m IM; 5th - 400m fr)
- 2001 World University Games (1st - 400m IM, WUG Record; 2nd - 200m IM)


After his collegiate career, Coach Clements swam professionally for Speedo while training with Michael Phelps and
the North Baltimore Aquatic Club. His professional achievements include:
- 2002 Pan-American Team (200m IM, 400m IM)
- 2003 World Championships (2nd - 4x200 fr relay; 7th - 200 IM)
- 2003 World Ranking: 3rd - 200 IM (2nd fastest in US History); 11th – 400 IM (4th in US); 30th – 200 Br (8th in US);
- 2004 U.S. National Champion (400 IM)
- 2004 USA Olympic Trials (5th - 200 IM)
- 5-Time USA National Team member


Coach Clements graduated from Auburn University with a degree in graphic design. He is married to his wife Jaqi,
and the couple have three children.

Vladimir Morozov Head Assistant Coach
Head Assistant Coach Vlad is a distinguished swimmer and coach, recognized for his achievements as a 3-time Olympian (2012, 2016, 2021) and an 11-time World Champion in short course events. His swimming journey began in Siberia and flourished in Los Angeles when he moved at 14 years old and swam for Torrance High School and later, the University of Southern California. In 2013, after becoming the first man to break 18 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle, going a blistering 17.86 on the 200 Freestyle Relay, Coach Morozov chose to forgo his final year of eligibility at USC to pursue a professional swimming career.

Over the course of a decade, Vlad earned multiple European Championships, won the World Cup Circuit three times, and set a World Record in the 100scm IM, further re-breaking it 2 more times. What set him apart was his ability to excel in every stroke at near World Record levels in the sprint events, despite being 6 feet tall, competing against typically taller and larger sprinters. He attributes his success to a deep understanding of water dynamics and the technical nuances of each stroke. Here are a few of his swimming accomplishments:
 
- USC school record holder in the 50 & 100 Freestyles (both SCY and LCM)
- Ranked in USC's All-Time Top-10 (50 fr, 100 fr, 100 bk, 100 br)
- 14-Time NCAA All-American
- Set an NCAA Record in the 100 Fr (2013)
- 2011 PAC-12 Newcomer of the Year
- 2012 PAC-12 Champion (50fr, 100 fr)
- 2012 London Olympic Games (Bronze in the 400m Fr Relay)
- 2012 European Championships (Gold in the 100scm fr and 100scm IM)
- 2013 PAC-12 Champion (50 fr, 200 Fr Relay, 100 Fr - PAC-12 Record, 400 Fr Relay) 
- 2013 NCAA Champion (50 fr, 100 fr)
- 2013 World Championships (Silver in the 50m fr)
- 2016 Rio Olympic Games (4th in the 400m Fr Relay)
- 2016 FINA World Cup (World Record 100 IM)
- 2016 World Short Course Championships (5 Gold, 2 Silver)
- 2018 FINA World Cup (100scm fr - 2nd fastest swim in history)
- 2019 European Championships (7 Gold)
- 3-Time World Cup Circuit Champion
- 65 International Medals (30 Gold, 25 Silver, 10 Bronze)

In 2022, Vlad began transitioning to full-time coaching. By the end of 2024, he had conducted over 1500 private and semi-private lessons, organized swim clinics worldwide, and offered online coaching and personalized training plans. His clients ranged from toddlers as young as 2 to adults as old as 85. Vlad's current focus is on competitive age-group swimmers, developing a comprehensive and effective training method to share the vast experience and knowledge he has accumulated over 20 years in the sport, helping a broader spectrum of competitive swimmers reach their full potential.
 
Besides teaching swimming, coach Vlad enjoys surfing, woodworking and spending time with his wife Jane. 
Emma Diaz Assistant Coach - Jr. Elite

Coach Emma Diaz started with SOCA in 2023. She grew up in Orange County, CA and started swimming competitively at the age of 6. She’s been around the sport of swimming ever since. Coach Emma swam on club swim teams for 12 years and on Tesoro High School’s varsity swim team for all 4 years of high school.

Coach Emma graduated from Tesoro in 2020 and attended Arizona State University. Three years later, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Family and Human Development with the hopes of becoming a School Counselor. During the next 2 years she will be earning her Master’s Degree in School Counseling through Point Loma Nazarene University’s online program. 

Coach Emma has previous experience coaching a summer league swim team and teaching swim lessons to kids who are just learning how to swim. She loves the sport of swimming and has realized her passion for coaching as well! In her free time she loves spending time at Disneyland, the beach, and hanging out with friends and family.

Grant Shoults Assistant Coach - Sr./National Groups

Grant Shoults is a retired American competitive swimmer who won the gold medal in the 400 meter freestyle at the 2015 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Singapore. He also won the silver medal in the 200 meter freestyle.

High School Swimming

Shoults was member of the Santa Margarita Catholic High School swim team. During his junior year, he broke a 24-year-old 200 yard freestyle independent national high school record at the CIF Southern Sectionals. He dipped under the 1:35 mark for the first time in his life, touching in 1:34.54. The record was one of only two high school records that still stood from the 20th century. In 2016 he was named the Swimming World High School Swimmer of the Year.

International Competition

At 17 years old, Shoults was selected for the 2015-2016 U.S. Junior National team for his performances in the 200 and 400 meter freestyle at the U.S. Nationals.

2014 Junior Pan Pacific Championships

Shoults gained his first international experience in Hawaii at the Junior Pan Pacific’s. He raced the freestyle distances from 50 to 400 meters. But his top finish came in butterfly, he placed 4th in the B Final of 200 meter butterfly in 2:03.26.

2015 FINA World Junior Championships

In Singapore, Shoults showed his potential on the world stage, picking up a medal in each of his three races. He set the pace for his meet during the first event of the championships, the 400 meter freestyle. Shoults got out to a quick start but was chased down the whole way by two chinese swimmers. Their efforts weren’t enough to catch Shoults and he powered to his first international medal, a gold in 3:48.91.

He continued his fine form in the 200 meter freestyle, with team USA lighting up the pool going 1-2 in the event. Shoults took silver in 1:48.42 behind teammate Maxime Rooney. The pair teamed up in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay with Shoults leading off. His split of 1:48.10 put the team on pace for a new Junior world record. The rest of the team maintained the lead to take gold in a new Junior World Record of 7.13.76.

Stanford University

As one of the top recruits in the nation, Shoults chose to move to Northern California to become a Stanford Cardinal under the guidance of Ted Knapp.

2016-2017

Shoults made an immediate impact to Stanford’s swimming program. At the Pac-12 championships was the 500 freestyle champion and picked up a silver medals in the 1650 freestyle and 800 freestyle relays and a bronze in the 200 freestyle. At his first NCAA Championship meet, he placed 4th in the 500 freestyle in a new Stanford record of 4:10.23. In his other individual events he placed 8th in the 1650 freestyle and 18th in the 200 freestyle. He also helped Stanford to a 7th place finish in the 800 freestyle relay.

2017-2018

Shoults earned All-America honors, finishing fourth in the 500 free at the NCAA Championships with a Stanford record 4:10.02. He also was a member of the eighth place 800 free relay and finished 14th in the 1,650 free and 24th in the 200 free (1:34.57).  The sophomore won the Pac-12 500 freestyle title (4:13.70), finished third in the 800 free relay (6:17.98) and was 10th in the 200 free (1:35.20).

2018 U.S. National Championships

Shoults finished second in the 400 freestyle (3:46.90) at the Phillips 66 National Championships, qualifying him for the Pan Pac team, his first ever USA “A” team. He also placed 21st in the 800 freestyle (8:05.69)

Paige Tattersall Assistant Coach

Coach Paige Tattersall is originally from Sacramento and swam for the Sierra Marlins swim team. She graduated from Pepperdine University in 2023 where she was a captain and member of the women’s swimming and diving team. She received her Bachelors of Arts in education and got her multiple-subject teaching credential.
 
Throughout her time at Pepperdine, she was able to help lead the team to back to back PCSC championships in 2022 and 2023. 2022 marked the first time the Pepperdine program had won a conference title in school history. Along with being a captain, she helped serve in a role as recruiting coordinator where she helped plan visits for prospective student athletes. Additionally, she was a part of the Waves Leadership Council, the student-athlete advisory board. She was a scholar-athlete all four years and received all PCSC honors. She swam primarily middle distance freestyle, and competed in events ranging from the 100-1000 free. She holds the school record in the 400 freestyle relay and her times in the 200, 500 free, and 1000 free are a part of Pepperdine’s All-Time Top-10 lists. Currently she is in the process of completing her Masters Degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration at Concordia University Irvine. She is a Graduate Assistant Coach for the Men’s and Women’s Swim and Dive Team.
 
She is excited to begin coaching at SOCA and join the team of knowledgeable and driven coaches, working to assist in the development of young athletes. Paige focuses on creating a positive, hard-working, and purposeful environment. Outside of coaching and school, she enjoys exploring Orange County, fitness, and spending time with friends and family.

Kayleigh Walsh Assistant Coach - Green/Blue Groups

Kayleigh Walsh grew up in New Hampshire and started swimming competitively at the age of 12. She’s been around the sport of swimming ever since. Coach Walsh swam on a club swim team for 10 years and on her Varsity team for all 4 years of high school.

Coach Walsh graduated from the University of Connecticut with a degree in Biology and Neuroscience. Three years later, she earned her Master’s in Clinical Research Management and Regulatory Affairs from Regis College while working for various pharmaceutical and MedTech companies. In 2020, she earned her MBA through Regis College’s online program. 

Coach Walsh has previous experience coaching club swim teams, high school, and teaching swim lessons to kids who are just learning how to swim. She loves the sport of swimming and has a true passion for coaching. When not on deck, Coach Walsh works in quality assurance and clinical compliance for a large MedTech company. In her free time, she loves spending time with family and friends and is planning her upcoming wedding with her fiancé Andrew.