Coaching Staff

Jason Pullano is a swim coach and teacher in Dallas, TX. He has been the Head Swim Coach and Aquatics Coordinator for Dallas Highland Park High School since the fall of 2022 where he also serves in a teaching role as a physics teacher. Before working for Highland Park, Pullano was a teacher, coach, and school district administrator for Granbury ISD from 2014-2022. Pullano has also held swim coaching positions for the North Texas Nadadores, Dragon Stroke Team, and Jim Montgomery Masters Swimmers as well as serving on summer age group swim camp staffs at Indiana University and Texas A&M University. Pullano has been recognized multiple times as a UIL District and Region coach of the year and was the 2025 TISCA 5A State Coach of the Year. 

Pullano swam collegiately at Ouachita Baptist University under Head Coach Ryan Killackey. He graduated from Ouachita with degrees in biology and secondary education in the spring of 2014 and his Masters in Educational Leadership from Tarleton State University in 20225. Pullano also serves as a remote adjunct instructor at Ouachita Baptist University where he teaches undergraduate education courses to Ouachita students seeking bachelors degrees in education, kinesiology, and communication disorder fields. Pullano and his wife, Jennifer Pullano, have a daughter, Quinn, and son, Parker.

Michael Pullano is the Associate Director of Admission at Centenary College in charge of out of state recruiting. Michael has experience in both college athletics and academic recruitment and has previously worked as a high school counselor, helping students achieve their college athletic and academic goals. Michael has also worked as a swim coach in Shreveport, Louisiana for the East Ridge Country Club Summer Swim Program, and coordinating Centenary College's swim lesson program.

Michael swam collegiately at Centenary College of Louisiana, competing in the 100 and 200 Breaststroke, and successfully finishing the 1650. Michael graduated with his Masters in Business Administration from Centenary College in 2024. Michael got his start swimming with the Bedford Surf summer swim team at the age of 7. He is passionate about providing kids the same opportunity for growth, competition, and lifelong friendships that he experienced during summer league. Michael and his fiance Anna have two dogs, Goob and Doris (and is always willing to show pictures of them). The two are very excited to celebrate their wedding on September 13, 2025. Swim fast enough and you might even get an invite!

Kimmy Zimmerman is a swim coach and teacher in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. She brings over 13 years of coaching experience, working with athletes ranging from summer league championship teams to Junior National qualifiers. She previously served as a UIL Head Swim Coach for six years, where her team earned a second-place finish at the state competition.

Zimmerman swam collegiately at the University of North Texas, where she was a conference champion in the mile and remains the school record holder in both the mile and 1000-yard freestyle events. She finished her collegiate swim career at the University of Texas at Austin as a distance swimmer where her team earned 2 Big 12 conference championship titles. Zimmerman is currently a teacher at an early college preparatory program. She graduated from the University of Texas with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Culture and Sports.

Coach Busbee attended and swam for LD Bell High School. Upon graduating from High School, Coach Busbee enrolled at University of Arkansas where she graduated with a Bachelor’s in Education and Master’s in STEM Education. Busbee worked as a 5th grade teacher for a year before transitioning to LD Bell High School as their Assistant Swim Coach in the Fall of 2022. In 2025, Busbee was voted the Texas Interscholastic Swim Coaches’ Association’s 6A State Assistant Coach of the Year and began working in Highland Park as the Assistant Coach for the Scots and Lady Scots Swimmig and Water Polo Teams. In addition to her roles with Highland Park ISD, Coach Busbee is a certified Pilates Instructor and works at BodyBar in Knox Park. Coach Busbee teaches 7th Grade Science at Highland Park Middle School.

Coach Lydia is a recent Highland Park graduate and will be continuing her swimming career at the University of Arkansas - Little Rock in the fall. She has been swimming competitively since she was 9 and has  loved the sport her whole life. She swam on varsity all 4 years of high school earning TISCA All State first team 3 times as well as being a multi-time district and regional champion and recently a state runner-up. Lydia loves babysitting kids in her neighborhood and volunteering for VBS as a kids camp counselor. She has also taught swim lessons for both the YMCA and for kids in her community. Lydia is so excited to have a new opportunity to help kids learn her joy for being in the pool

Ella Reese Madden began swimming competitively at the age of six and has remained deeply involved in the sport ever since. She is a proud alumna of Highland Park High School’s Varsity Swim and Water Polo Teams. She competed as a collegiate club water polo player at the University of Colorado Boulder, and now seeks to give back to the sport that has given her so much.

Coach Kate is an upcoming junior that is apart of the HP swim and waterpolo teams. Seeing her brother, Clark, join the school’s waterpolo team and wanting to join a sport herself, she was encouraged to try out waterpolo. She picked up the sport in the winter of 2023 for a club team and joined the high school water polo team at the beginning of her freshman year as well as joining the high school swim team in the fall of her freshman year.

"I’m volunteering for the Highlander Summer Swim Team because I want to  give back to the community and encourage kids to be passionate about swimming"

Coach Isabel is an upcoming junior at HPHS. She swam on a club team in 7th-8th and then joined the HPHS swim team as a freshman. Her friends persuaded her to try out water polo, so she started learning water polo halfway through freshman year and will joined the HPHS water polo team in her sophomore year.

"I’d like to volunteer for the Highlander Summer Swim Team because I want to have a positive influence on my community and I want to share my love and passion for swimming with other kids."

Coach Nirvan is an upcoming junior that is a captain of the HP swim team. He joined the swim team with no previous experience as a freshman, and has swam as a part of the team for the last two years. After hearing about water polo through friends, he has decided to join the water polo team for the next season as well.

“I like to volunteer for the Highlander Summer Swim Team because of the personalities of each kid and the amount of fun it is. I want each kid to have nothing but good memories to look back on when they think about swimming later in their life.”

Coach Gianna is a rising sophomore and a member of the HP swim and water polo teams. She has been swimming competitively for six years and has been eager to swim for HP since the fourth grade. Because of her love for the water, she branched out into water polo in 7th grade and is now the goalie for HP and Pegasus Club Water Polo. She is a member of the varsity team and is the first-ever Highlander Summer Swimmer to qualify for UIL State in the 200-yard medley relay, where she swam the butterfly leg. Outside of the pool, she is involved in the Highlander Band, serves as a VBS counselor, and enjoys creating as many memories with friends as possible.

“I am excited to volunteer for the Highlander Summer Swim Team because I want to help kids find their passion in the water and support the future of the Highland Park Swim Team.”

Coach Taylor is an incoming freshman at Highland Park and a member of both the swim team and water polo team. She discovered her love for water sports at a young age, inspired by her older sister, Ava, who encouraged her to start swimming. Recently, Taylor began playing with Pegasus Club Water Polo as a center defender. She is now on varsity for both teams and plans to continue swimming throughout all four years of high school. Outside of the pool, Taylor enjoys staying busy with friends and participating in extracurricular activities like the Highlander Band.

“I am so excited to be part of the Highlander Summer Swim Team, helping younger swimmers improve their skills while sharing my experience and love for the Highland Park Swim Team.”