The “Dean of SEC Coaches” is headed back to the Olympics — again — and bringing seven former University of Georgia swimmers with him after a successful run at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials last week.

“When we get to Tokyo, we’ll have a 17-percent part of the team that’s related to the University of Georgia,” Georgia coach Jack Bauerle said, appearing on the Ingles On The Beat Show on Monday night. “You want your best performances to come at the most important times, and this was the most important time and we had our best performances.”

Bauerle, with his 43 years at the helm in Athens is the longest-serving coach in any sport in the SEC, will now help prepare Team USA for the Tokyo Olympics.

Bauerle, making his fourth appearance on U.S. Olympic coaching staffs and second consecutive on the men’s side, has won seven national titles and 12 SEC championships at UGA, producing 61 different NCAA champs at Georgia.

But there’s more to life at UGA for Bauerle than just swimming. He remains a big Georgia football fan, and particularly of Kirby Smart, who he shared recently helped him recruit a top swimmer to UGA.

But for now, Bauerle’s attention is turned squarely to the Olympics in preparation for the Tokyo Games July 23-Aug. 8. Team USA will soon head to Hawaii where it will be on lock down for two weeks of intense training, before transitioning to Japan.

The seven former UGA swimmers who made the men’s and women’s teams represent the most from any school in the nation:

• Gunnar Bentz — 200m butterfly

• Nic Fink - 200m breaststroke

• Hali Flickinger — 200m butterfly, 400m IM

• Chase Kalisz - 200m IM, 400m IM

• Kay Litherland — 400m IM

• Allison Schmitt — 200m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay

• Olivia Smoliga — 4x100m freestyle relay

In addition to the UGA swimmers, Bauerle trains two other swimmers in the Athens Bulldog Swim Club, which is regarded among the most successful in the world: Natalie Hinds (4x100 free relay), Andrew Wilson (100m, 200m breaststroke)