Dan Marella, Swim/Dive head coach, leans down at Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool on Oct. 2, 2024 to talk to his swimmers during the Rodionoff Invite. Marella has been with the program since September 2022, according to Pepperdine Athletics. File photos by Mary Elisabeth (’25)
The ocean’s tide changes every day, causing rocky waves and strong currents to change the water’s course, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Pepperdine Swim/Dive team experienced their own changing tide when former Head Coach Ellie Monobe left the program midseason.
Instead of letting this unexpected change sweep them out and leave them adrift, the Waves turned their attention and poured their trust into assistant coach Dan Marella, whom Pepperdine Athletics appointed as the interim head coach Nov.