Coaching Staff
David Orr Head Coach/CEO

Coach David comes to Memphis Tiger Swimming having previously served as Executive Director/Head Coach for Cascade Swim Club in Seattle since 2018 and, prior to Cascade, serving as Head Coach/CEO of Sunkist Swim Team from 2010 to 2018. At Cascade, Coach David’s swimmers broke 234 team records and 2 NAGs. Coach David qualified multiple swimmers to champs/regional/national meets while overseeing a staff of 22 coaches at 7 sites and over 700 swimmers. Coach David served as Age Group Chair for Pacific Northwest LSC and was a key Governor liaison and advisor representing aquatic stakeholders statewide to advocate for safe and responsible return to pools throughout the pandemic. While at Sunkist, the team elevated from ranked 7th in the LSC to winning 7 straight LSC championships. Coach David received national recognition, winning 6 USA Swimming #SwimBiz Crystal Kickboards, including Marketing Club of the Year three years in a row for 2015, 2016, 2017 and Marketing LSC of the Year in 2018. Coach David grew up swimming and coaching for legendary coach Carl Butler, who led a dynasty program for decades in Columbus, MS. Coach David's specialties were breaststroke, sprint free and IM. He broke numerous state records, qualifying for JOs and Top 16. As a Masters swimmer, Coach David competed for the Rose Bowl Masters at 2006 FINA Masters World Championships. Coach David is a regular presenter at various swimming conferences, including ASCA World Clinic, ISCA Hall of Fame Conference and USA Swimming Annual Convention. Coach David won Age Group Coach of the Year in 2014 for Mississippi Swimming LSC. Coach David is an ASCA Level 5 certified coach and currently serves on the Board of Directors for International Swim Coaches Association (ISCA) and on the USA Swimming National Age Group Development Committee.

Bakari Williams Coach
Greetings everyone! I'm Coach Bakari Williams, and I am very excited to be here with MTS. I started swimming at the age of seven, and I immediately fell in love with the sport.  All throughout my swim career, I was very fortunate to have coaches who genuinely cared for their swimmers, continuously challenged me to be the best version of myself both in and out of the pool, and passionately coached the sport making even the toughest practices a fun experience. On every team that I have been a part of, my teammates always became more than just friends, for we truly formed a bond that made us more like family. With an experience like the one I had, it would be hard not to love the sport, and it is that love which fuels me each time I step onto the pool deck. I have called Memphis home since 2013, which is when I began attending Rhodes College. I graduated in 2018 with a BA in Religious Studies. While there, I also swam collegiately under head coach Charlie Boehme. Before Rhodes, I swam for my high school, Northwest Rankin, and I swam for my local club team, Sunkist Swim Team, located in Jackson, MS. I started coaching in 2011. I was head coach of one our summer league teams for 3 years. I assisted in my club team's developmental program for 5 years. In 2016, I became a USA Swimming certified coach, and I was an assistant coach for Sunkist for two years. My coaching experience in Memphis in 2019 starting with the Ric Nuber YMCA team and later getting involved with Blue City Bluefins and the elementary swim league. I am really looking forward to sharing my current knowledge with these swimmers, as well as learning new things together. Each time my swimmers step onto the pool deck, I want them to be stepping into an environment where they feel safe, are having fun, and are ready to put in the work to become better swimmers. Again, I am really excited to be here, and I hope that one day my swimmers will be able to say they love the sport as much as I do. 
 
 
Don Waters Coach
Education: Memphis State University BS Education, Eastern Kentucky University (Swimming)
Teaching/Coaching Experience: Memphis State University Asst. Swim Coach 1982-86. Athletic Director/Teacher/Coach Lausanne Collegiate School 1986-1998. Shelby County Schools HPELW Teacher 1999-present. Central Church Swim team Head Coach 1990-98.
Collierville Swimming Founder/Head Coach 1998-2020. 
MTYS/Schilling Farms location Swim Coach-present.
Inducted into Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.
Kham Glass Coach

Hey, I am Coach Kham! I'm excited to have joined the Memphis Tiger Swimming family. I began swimming at the age of 11 for the Mississippi Makos in Flowood, MS. I swam for Makos for about 2 years and transitioned to Sunkist Swim Team, where I trained under our current coach, David Orr, and remained with Sunkist until I graduated High School. I attended and swam at Drury University in Springfield, MO from 2018-2023. Through my time at Drury, I was fortunate and grateful for the achievements I was able to attain during my time there. During my time at Drury, I was a 12-time NCAA All American, Scholastic All American, 3-time NCAA Champion, NCAA Record Holder, and Olympic Trial Qualifier. The sport has granted me many opportunities to learn, improve, and grow, not only as an athlete but as a person. I graduated from Drury receiving a BA in Biology and minor in Business and Entrepreneurship. As I was not the greatest swimmer during my age group time, I did not let it deter me from improving in the sport and becoming the best I can be. I bet on myself every day, and it has continued to work out for me. As I join MTS, my purpose is to not only give the younger generation the knowledge to help them improve in the sport, but the attitude to allow themselves to achieve anything they put their mind to. 

 
Laura Winfrey Coach

Hello everyone, I’m Coach Laura! I started swimming competitively when I was 4 years old. I grew up in Memphis and swam for BXST 2013-2018 and ECS in high school. I also work at the Germantown Athletic Club where I lifeguard, teach swim lessons, coach the Masters team, and teach lifeguard classes. I started coaching in 2021 with Tigers as my first team! I have loved every minute working with the children and I believe swimming is more than a sport. I believe children can learn so much about themselves and gain more confidence through swimming.

Courtney Goff Coach

Hello, I am Coach Courtney! Swimming has been a part of my life since I was eight years old! I swam for Mississippi Makos in Flowood, MS and then when I got older, I swam for my Clinton High School team. I also had the opportunity to swim and compete at the collegiate level for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock under Coach Amy Burgess in 2014! Upon graduating in 2018, I received a B.S. in Psychology and was super interested in Sports Psychology! I am now in Massage Therapy School here in Memphis and will be graduating at the end of September 2022!  I began to coach when I was 16 for my club team and for local summer league teams. However, it wasn't until I coached for Sunkist Swim Team after graduating college that I really fell in love with the role. Swimmers are a different breed of athletes. With double practices, long seasons, and swim meets on weekends instead of slumber parties, swimmers put in the WORK. As a young swimmer, I was oblivious to the dedication and motivation it took to be a swimmer. Because at the end of the day, you just do it. You go to swim practices, you compete in meets, you have chlorine run through your veins. But if I had not had my coaches (and mom) pushing me every day, I probably would not have swam with a full ride for a D1 college. I coach because I know what swimmers are feeling and I know they want to be motivated and inspired. I coach because I love this amazing sport and its athletes also continue to inspire me.  I am very excited to be working with Memphis Tigers and look forward to the journey ahead!