​Sean Kakumu

[email protected]

Asst. Head Coach
Senior Performance Coach
​
2012-present

• ASCA 5, ISCA, CSCAA
• College of the Canyons, Head Swim & Dive Coach; ​Adjunct Professor Kinesiology, 2012-present
• City of Santa Clarita Aquatics, Manager, 2002-2019
• University of Southern California, M.A., 2008
• University of Illinois at Chicago, BA, 2006
• Hart High School, 2002

For over two decades, Coach Sean Kakumu has provided leadership and coaching for numerous significant swimming organizations within the City of Santa Clarita. A Level 5 ASCA (American Swimming Coaches Association) swim coach, a distinction attained by only 1-3% of the most highly esteemed coaches in the United States, Coach Kakumu is also a member of the International Swim Coach Association and the College Swimming Coaches Association of America.

In 2012, Sean joined the Canyons staff as a former Head Coach, Jeff Conwell’s, recruit. Currently, Sean holds the position of Senior Performance/Head Assistant Coach. Prior to this, he served as the Senior Development Coach, Varsity Coach, Assistant Coach for Groups 3, 2, and 1, and Swim School Director. Under his guidance, he has produced numerous swimmers at a higher level.
In 2012, Coach Sean was selected as the 13-14 Girls coach for the Southern California Swimming Pacific Coast All-Star Team in Santa Rosa. Since 2015, Sean has been a member of the staff for the North American Challenge Cup. In 2017, he was appointed as the 17-18 Girls and Boys Coach at UC San Diego.

For the past four years, Sean has been the Southern California Swimming Coastal Committee Age Group Chair, providing direction and guidance to age group swimmers within the Coastal Committee. As of 2018, Sean was appointed as the Open Water Chair for Southern California Swimming and served as the Meet Director for the 2018 Southern California Open Water Junior Olympics and the 2018 USA Swimming Western Zones Championship. From 2018 to 2019, Sean was elected Vice Chair of the Southern California Swimming Age Group. In 2019, he was appointed Secretary of the SCS Coastal Committee. In 2023, he assumed the role of Chair of the SCS Coastal Committee Open Water Committee.

When not affiliated with Canyons Aquatic Club, Sean holds the position of Adjunct Professor of Kinesiology. He leads the successful College of the Canyons Cougar Swim & Dive team as Head Coach. Since 2012, Coach Sean has implemented a groundbreaking and innovative program that has never been seen before at College of the Canyons or among their competitors in the team’s four-decade history. Over the past six seasons, the program has established 43 new school records and secured 11 individual Western State Conference championships, 14 California Community College Athletic Association State qualifiers, Junior National level swimmers, four medley conference championships, and produced five CCCAA state finalists, six All-American relay teams, six All-American Individuals, one WSC Men’s Swimmer of the Year, one CCCAA Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and one ranking on the two-year College National Rankings. As a result of this remarkable success, the College of the Canyons Swim & Dive program has achieved unprecedented recognition and accomplishment in both team and individual competitions within the Western State Conference.

Prior to joining Canyons Aquatic Club, Sean held the position of Pool Manager with the City of Santa Clarita. During his 16-year tenure with the City of Santa Clarita, Sean oversaw and supervised multiple city swim teams, trained and mentored city swim team coaches and meet support staff, initiated the creation of swim meet events for 5-6-year-olds, and continues to provide training and assistance with swim meet timing equipment and video scoreboard design. In addition to his role with the swim team, Sean oversaw, directed, and influenced thousands of swim lessons at his facilities. As a natural competitor, he sought to ensure that his swim lessons were the highest quality, most enjoyable, and most professional among all other city lessons. Sean continues to provide training and education to city swim team coaches, offer technical assistance, and provide administrative support for city swim teams.

Personally, Coach Sean has been immersed in water throughout his life. Beginning at Canyons Aquatic Club in 1989, Sean progressed through the ranks, reaching the Senior group at the age of 12 under the guidance of former Head Coach Bruce Patmos, the same coach as gold medalist Anthony Ervin. During this period, Sean also represented Hart High School as a varsity member for four years, culminating in a CIF Championship victory with his team. In 2002, he embarked on a collegiate swimming journey at the Division I University of Illinois at Chicago.

Sean graduated from Hart High School in 2002 to pursue a degree in Architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he earned multiple Dean’s List awards and served as President of the student body. Graduating in 2006, he continued his academic pursuits at the University of Southern California (Fight On!) to earn his Master’s degree in Architecture, specializing in building systems and materials application in commercial, mixed-use, and urban planning.
​
Outside of his professional responsibilities, Sean is an avid reader and writer, an accomplished designer, furniture maker, traveler, and enthusiast of multiple sporting events, including USC football.