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. 11. After four months at the helm, Director of Athletics Tanner Gardner officially named Marella was officially named as the program’s head coach, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
“I cannot speak highly enough about Dan,” junior Layla Busquets said. “He’s really demonstrated his ability to multitask, take on multiple jobs at once and do it with a lot of grace. He is perfect for the head coaching position, because he’s already taking on more than I think any other coach could really.”
Director of Athletics Tanner Gardner said naming Marella was a clear choice that would bring the most benefit to Pepperdine’s Swim/Dive program.
“He has the respect of the women on the team, he played a big part in recruiting many of them and so I think he has that relationship with them,” Gardner said. “In a matter of technical expertise, Dan has that, and so the combination of those things made us feel confident that he could do it.”
Busquets said one thing that truly makes Marella stand out for her entire team is his dedication to the program. Not only does Marella care for each member of his program, but his everyday life demonstrates his commitment to the success of the sport.
“He’s a very mild mannered person but also very smart and carries himself very well — he’s very motivational,” Busquets said.
From Student to Teacher
Marella’s calm and collected composure helped ease the sudden change in leadership, multiple swimmers said. Monobe’s departure from the program came as a shock for many swimmers, but the Waves felt confident with a familiar face leading them.
“Dan already knows exactly how everything works, so it was kind of a flawless transition,” Busquets said. “I think it’s definitely been a huge weight on him just to do all of this, but he’s doing such a good job that we didn’t even notice too much.”
Even though Monobe’s exit brought a mix of emotions to the program, many swimmers said they were grateful for the experience and knowledge they gained under their former head coach.
“Ellie was and is a huge part of our team,” junior swimmer Maddie Wheeler said. “We are able to do what we love all because of her. We all still have a lot of respect for her.”
Monobe left Pepperdine after leading the Waves to three conference championships, most recently winning the 2025 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Championship, according to Pepperdine Athletics. When Saint Mary’s College launched their Men’s and Women’s Swimming program, Monobe accepted the head coach position effective Dec. 1 so she can begin recruiting and building for their inaugural season in 2026-27.
“She’s really elevated Pepperdine to be a truly competitive Division I program,” Busquets said. “I honestly can’t speak highly enough about the changes that she made.”
Wheeler said these program changes came from Monobe’s meticulous attention to detail and high standards. She expects perfection, which is why she has accumulated so much success throughout her career.
“Ellie is very strong and passionate about what she does,” Wheeler said. “She’s very knowledgeable. She’s been a coach for many strong programs, so it was awesome to have the opportunity to be coached by her.”
Marella joined the Waves in September 2022 and swam under Monobe during his time at UC Santa Barbara, according to Pepperdine Athletics. The program said with this experience under his belt, they felt confident in Marella leading the team.
“He really cares for you as an entire human being, and I think that just makes you want to swim well for Dan,” Busquets said. “He has a very special ability to form long lasting relationships with every single person on the team, as well as everybody in Athletics. He’s one of those people I think that everybody likes, and so there’s a lot of people rooting for him.”
Head Coach Dan Marella (third from right) stands next to former head coach Ellie Monobe (third from left) at Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool on Oct. 4 at the Rodionoff Invite. Marella is taking over the program after Monobe left midseason. Photo by Katherine Lytle
With Marella spending most of his career close to Monobe, Pepperdine swimmers said the two coaches have a lot of similarities in their coaching style. Specifically, Wheeler said Marella is always pushing his team to be the best swimmers they can be: a standard of excellence also upheld by Monobe.
“Dan has a lot of the similar traits as Ellie, which I think is awesome and has made the transition easier in its process,” Wheeler said.
While these similar styles helped ease the midseason transition, there is a special quality about Marella that makes him stand out among the program. Busquets said his ability to connect individually with each swimmer has elevated their experience both in and out of the water.
“He does a really good job of fostering relations, and he really expects a lot out of you, but he also really believes in each one of us, which is really special,” Busquets said. “With that being said, I think Ellie also formed a positive culture, but I think Dan can get to know you on another level, which is really cool. He’s just been so great.”
Many swimmers said Marella’s care for each swimmer makes him a safe space, but he’s also someone with a deep drive to win. When Marella stepped into the interim head coach position, he highlighted three values for the program: legacy, presence and courage.
“All three of those things ultimately helped the team and really helped the culture,” Wheeler said. “He has huge expectations for us as a team, and he also holds us accountable for those. He supports and respects us, which I arguably think is one of the most important things. Because he respects us, we respect him. The last one is having the courage to do difficult things and going into it knowing, ‘This race is going to hurt, but it’s worth it in the end.’”
Focus on the Present
The Waves had a 4-5 record this season and finished 6th in the MPSF Championships, according to Pepperdine Athletics. While their record wasn’t perfect, Wheeler said Marella’s support through this year’s difficulties prove his capabilities as a head coach.
“Dan has done a really good job helping us focus on conference during the coaching change,” Wheeler said. “He called a meeting the day after, and said, ‘I totally understand if you guys have any of these feelings — they’re all valid. But ultimately, we have to keep our eyes on conference, keep the locker room positive and just know that everything is going to be okay. It might seem difficult right now, but we can do this.’”
Aside from his supportive nature as a coach, his extensive knowledge of the sport provides him with another unique quality his swimmers admire. Wheeler said Marella knows the sport is ever-changing, and he’s always researching ways to improve his program and the swimmers within it.
“He’s so passionate about the sport and coaching,” Wheeler said. “He really educates himself on everything in the sport. He’s awesome, and he knows what he’s doing.”
As the Athletics Department searched for a new head coach, the swimmers were asked about the impact of having a female in the role. When Busquets considered this option, she said her choice was clear: Marella has what a head coach needs.
“Any qualities that you would look for in a female role or lead is something that Dan has,” Busquets said. “We want someone who’s compassionate and willing to listen, and Dan possesses that. Honestly, I don’t think that there’s any reason to pick a female head coach over Dan.”
Marella joined the Pepperdine Swim/Dive program as a volunteer assistant swim and dive coach, according to Pepperdine Athletics. He proved he knows what it takes for his Waves to succeed when he helped lead the program to their 2023 Pacific Collegiate Swim and Dive Conference (PCSC) Championship as well as their 2025 MPSF Championship,
“In terms of the head of the program, I think there’s a lot of good things and people in our program that we want to continue going forward,” Gardner said. “This isn’t a reboot by any means, it’s how do we continue the success that we’ve had already?”
As the 2025-26 season progressed, the swimmers said the choice for who should be their next head coach was closer than some may realize — he was already on the deck with the team.
“We all love Dan,” Wheeler said. “There have been meetings to advocate for him, and we would just love to have Dan as our head coach.”
For many swimmers, the choice for the official head coach position was clear from the start — there was no other option besides Marella.
“Dan’s always been a part of it, and now it’s just him as the leader instead of Ellie,” Busquets said. “In my mind, he’s always been the leader with Ellie. I honestly feel like there’s no real hiccups and we’re not falling short of the expectations we set at the beginning of the year. Dan’s continuing to carry out what we talked about.”
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