AUBURN, Ala. – Arilson Silva, arriving with several decades of both international and collegiate success, will be named Auburn’s newest associate head coach near the conclusion of the 2024-25 academic year, head swimming and diving coach Ryan Wochomurka announced Friday.
“I’m so excited to join the Auburn Swimming and Diving program,” said Silva. “I want to thank head coach Ryan Wochomurka for offering me this incredible opportunity. As a Brazilian coach, I’ve built my career knowing that Auburn is a reference of excellence, and for years I have been watching some of our best Brazilian swimmers train here and move on to great careers. I am ready to collaborate with this staff and look forward to what we can accomplish. War Eagle!”
Silva arrives on the Plains after spending the past two seasons as part of the nationally-ranked Georgia Tech program. This season, Silva helped qualify three Yellowjackets to the NCAA Championships, including Mert Kilavuz who enters NCAAs with the 12th-fastest time in the country in the 1650 free, freshman Uros Zivanovic and Berke Saka.
“I am thrilled to welcome Ari to the Auburn Family,” said Wochomurka. “His proven track record of developing athletes on the collegiate and international levels will be a major asset to our program. He is an accomplished and published expert in the biomechanics and physiology of our sport, but more importantly, the passion and positive energy he brings to the pool deck every day is contagious! I look forward to partnering with Ari as we share a common mission and passion for recruiting and mentoring student-athletes from around the country and the globe to compete at the highest level on the NCAA and world stage. War Eagle!”
Across the 2023-24 campaign, Silva’s guidance helped four Yellowjackets earn berths into the NCAA Championships. Sabyne Brisson (100 breast, 200 breast), Leandro Odorici (100 breast), David Gapinski (400 FR, 800 FR) and Robin Yeboah (400 FR) all extended their postseason runs.
Silva’s coaching was a direct contributor to Anna Hadjiloizou breaking the women’s 50 free record. Jillian Ferrari, Vivien Rothwell, Kiah Smith and Clarissa Sabin also put Silva’s training to good use, breaking multiple relay records throughout the season.
No stranger to international competition, Silva has coached athletes who have participated in every Olympic Games since 2008, among them Auburn legend and world record holder Cesar Cielo toward the end of his career. In addition to his Olympic Coaching success, Silva’s athletes boast seven world championship medals.
Along with Cielo, Silva helped Felipe Franca become the first man to swim sub-27 seconds in the 50-meter breaststroke in 2009, setting the world record at 26.89. Andriy Govorov’s 50-meter butterfly world record (22.27), set in 2018, still stands.
While in his home country of Brazil, Silva was a member of the Brazilian Swimming Technical Council and the Brazilian Academy of Coaches Olympic Institute. Silva’s experience also includes participation in the International Coaching Enrichment Program promoted by the United States Olympic Committee and the University of Delaware.
Silva graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and Sportive Techniques from Guarulhos University. He also took an extension course specializing in Exercise Physiology (1993- Medicine School of São Paulo) and Sportive Training (1994- University of São Paulo).