Leadership & administration

Dan Jacobs - Head Coach/Chief Operations Officer
dan@machineaquatics.com

Dan started swimming when he was 4 years old for his neighborhood team, the Marlbank Mudtoads. He swam AAU/USS for Coast Guard Blue Dolphins in Yorktown, VA, until the age of fourteen, when he moved to Northern Virginia. Dan then swam for Solotar, Oakton High School, and Vienna Aquatic Club (VAC). He started coaching in 1985 as a developmental assistant at VAC, and assistant coached there until he graduated HS.

Dan attended College at Old Dominion University, where he graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He also swam Division 1 for ODU.

During the summers Dan coached at Dunn Loring for three years before accepting the head coach position at Vienna Aquatic Club. Upon graduation from ODU he worked in the graphic design field for approximately 12 years, continuing to coach for VAC in the summer and coach year-round for York Swim Club.

Dan started Machine Aquatics in 2001 with Paris Jacobs and Christian Doud. We all strive to make a positive impact on every swimmer and help each individual reach his or her maximum potential.  He believes he will never stop learning to be a better coach.

Jason Cochran – Assistant Director of Competitive Swimming & Site Director, Oakmont Rec Center jason@machineaquatics.com

I’m Jason Cochran, Assistant Director of Competitive Swimming for Machine Aquatics. I’ve been coaching since 2004 and joined Machine in 2016. I primarily lead the National Prep Group at Oakmont Rec Center and support our National Team, but I also enjoy visiting all of our sites throughout the year.

I grew up in New Jersey as a three-sport athlete (swimming, baseball, soccer) and started teaching swim lessons in high school. That’s also when I launched my own summer swim team—and I’ve been hooked on coaching ever since. I swam competitively through high school and earned All-Conference honors.

I graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Spanish. My coaching career has taken me from NJ to CT to TX, and now to Machine, where I’ve worked with swimmers of all levels—from 8 & Unders to Olympic Trials qualifiers. I’ve also had the privilege of coaching at several USA Swimming Select Camps, including as Head Coach of the 2022 Eastern Zone Select Camp and Assistant Coach at the 2024 Boys National Select Camp.

My coaching philosophy centers around building strong habits, accountability, and lifelong lessons through swimming. I coach the full swimmer—every stroke, every distance—and aim to help each athlete grow both in and out of the pool.

Outside of coaching, I’m a huge sports fan (WVU, Notre Dame Football, Mets, Giants, Devils), a WWE enthusiast, and a devoted buffalo wing lover.

Paris Jacobs - Owner/Chief Executive Officer
paris@machineaquatics.com

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Paris grew up recreationally swimming for Dynamo Swim Club. She began her coaching career in Atlanta at her summer league pool as an assistant coach. She moved to the Northern Virginia area in 1993 to attend boarding school. She attended George Mason University studying Business.

After working as a developmental age group coach for a few years, in 2001 Paris co-founded Machine Aquatics, where she served as team manager and age group coach until 2009 when she stepped off the deck as a full-time Machine coach to run the dry side team operations and be a mom. 

Since its inception in 2001, Machine Aquatics has grown into Machine Brands, which encompasses four divisions.  Machine Aquatics, a nationally ranked USA Swimming competitive team with seven training sites and 1100+ members, Machine Swim School, a large swim school providing 800+ lessons weekly, Machine Performance Center, a 22,000 sq. ft. performance center for swim, fitness, yoga, and physical therapy.

Paris serves as CEO of Machine Brands overseeing the business operation and development of all divisions.  After a long volunteer career within USA Swimming and USA Swimming Foundation, Paris served as a business development consultant for The American Swim Coaches Association (ASCA) from 2015-2017 and the Chief Operations Officer (COO) of the American Swim Coaches Association from 2018-2020.  Paris also severed as Senior Management Advisor and Event Operations Director for the International Swimming League (ISL) in 2019 & 2020. Currently, Paris sits on the CEO Advisory Council for USA Swimming.

Paris has two children Lillyan (22), a recent graduate of the University of South Carolina studying exercise science and neuroscience, and Daniel, III (20), a Junior at East Carolina Univeristy studying Sports Management/ Business.

Kristina Minear - Director of Strength Training and National Team Assistant Coach

kristina@machineaquatics.com

I am excited to be joining the Machine Aquatics family. With more than 25 years of competitive swimming and coaching experience, I have had the opportunity to work with athletes of all ages and abilities, from learn-to-swim programs to nationally competitive senior swimmers.

My own swimming journey began at age 8 and continued through the collegiate level at The University of Texas at Austin, where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. That educational foundation, combined with years of coaching experience, has shaped my belief that long-term success is built through strong fundamentals, technical excellence, and consistent daily habits.

As a military spouse, my family has lived and coached in communities across the United States and overseas, including South Korea and Germany. These experiences have allowed me to work with swimmers from diverse backgrounds, build programs in a variety of settings, and appreciate the unique role that swimming plays in bringing athletes, families, and communities together.

Having experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, and parent, I understand that every swimmer's journey is unique. My coaching philosophy is centered on developing the whole athlete by creating an environment built on accountability, teamwork, and a genuine love of the sport. I believe swimming is a powerful vehicle for teaching life skills, helping athletes develop discipline, resilience, goal-setting skills, confidence, and perseverance that extend far beyond the pool.

I am passionate about helping swimmers discover what they are capable of while building confidence in themselves and meaningful connections with their teammates. I believe individual achievement and team success go hand in hand, and I strive to create a culture where athletes feel supported, challenged, and valued as they pursue their goals.

Outside of the pool, I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, and cheering on my children in their athletic pursuits. I look forward to working with the swimmers and families at Machine Aquatics and helping each athlete grow both in and out of the water.