Don Kimble did not have a long stint as an assistant coach with the Davenport swimming and diving teams due to the infancy of the program, but he made a big impact. Kimble lost his battle to cancer on Monday morning at the age of 60, yet his coaching legacy will continue to live on. Don was first diagnosed with a metastatic melanoma in 2019 and battled until the very end surrounded by his family and loved ones when he passed on May 25.
 
Kimble was a part of the West Michigan swimming scene since 1980, earning six Michigan High School state championships, five state runner-up finishes, 20 conference titles and 31 individual state champions over his 34-year prep career. Kimble coached with the Holland Christian High School boys from 1980-89. He also coached the Maroon girls from 1983-87 and combined to win seven conference titles and two state championships.
 
After a nine-year break from coaching, Kimble went on to lead the Holland High School boys and girls to matching state championships in 2002. Don was also a club coach for many years with Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics, assisting in many swimmers' successes at junior nationals, D1/D2 college programs, and qualifying for Olympic trials. In 2012, Kimble was awarded the Michigan Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association Matt Mann Award, the highest MISCA honor. In 2014, Don was then named to the Michigan High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
 
Kimble took over a struggling Byron Center High School swim program in 2013 and two years later led the girls team to their first conference title along with breaking 10 of 11 school records. While at Davenport, he assisted the women's program to a fourth-place finish at the 2020 GLIAC Championships.