University of South Carolina Beaufort

"Love him or hate him, Jeff knows his stuff. It seems like a lot of these comments were left by people who were personally burned or wronged by him in one way or another. I do not think it is at all reflective of who he is as a coach or person. Jeff really does care about the swimmers that he coaches and simultaneously cares about the program as a whole. No D1 program can succeed with leniency so he obviously does not provide it in this one. He has made the program and culture extraordinarily better. "

"Coach Bev is an amazing role model and I was blessed to have gotten play for her. I am forever grateful for my experience at USC and Coach Bev’s impact on and off the field. "

"Absolutely loved Andy. As I senior I thought there was not much I could improve upon but he had technique advice for me that changed my stroke for the better. Loved when he coached my practices because he was extremely motivating especially during hard sets, which I was very thankful for."

"Any coaching change is hard, and the switch from the prior coaching staff to his was intense. Jeff cares immensely about the success of individual swimmers and the team as a whole, in and out of the pool. Watching him cheer, jump up and down, and stomp his feet during meets and practice is proof of that. He has high expectations for swimmers, and truly wants all of us to exceed them. His passion for the sport and the team bleeds into his coaching and relationships with the swimmers. I have never felt uncomfortable going to him with an issue, as I know it will be taken seriously and that we will be able to come to a solution together. He is a great coach. He has completely changed the team culture into something unrecognizable from when he first came here. It is an environment of support, sisterhood, and respect. I am so grateful that he chose to come to South Carolina. "

"Jeff Poppell is an absolute terror. Nearly ended my swimming career after only TWO MONTHS at South Carolina. This man is a dictator above a head coach. He only cares about himself and his ego. You are nothing more than a number on a scoreboard to this man. He creates a hostile, anxiety inducing environment that is impossible to succeed in. He refuses to listen to the needs of his athletes, he coaches one way and one way only. Forces all of his swimmers to go over hours to finish sets. He also has a tendency of pitting people against each other when it comes to travel meets, which arises tension within the team. I saw some of the mentally and physically strongest athletes I know quit due to his actions and immature attitude on the pool deck. In addition, this man absolutely loves drama. He has favorites on the team, and uses them to get information about other swimmers. He innapropriately spreads rumors about his own swimmers because he has nothing better to do. His drama spread throughout the coaching staff and managed to drive out his own hires within one season. The way Jeff Poppell treats his swimmers and coaches makes me sick to my stomach. Save yourself from a definite transfer, and STAY AWAY FROM THIS MAN. "