Bogdan Plavin joined the Valpo swimming program as an assistant coach in October of 2019. He will spend the 2020-21 season as a graduate assistant.

In Plavin's first season with the program, Valpo set a total of 10 new school records and had its first All-League honoree on the men's side since 2006. The program tallied seven dual meet wins over the course of the season, and both the men (Summit League Championships) and the women (MVC Championships) posted their highest point totals in season-ending competition since moving to their respective conferences.

Plavin came to Valpo from Grand Canyon University, where he competed from 2016-2019 in the free and breaststroke events. In 2018, he was a second-place finisher in the 50-free at the Western Athletic Conference Championships, while also swimming as part of two WAC champion relay teams. He competed in the 2018 NCAA Championships as well, helping Grand Canyon’s 200-free relay to a 22^nd-place finish.

Plavin brought coaching experience as well to Valpo. He was a volunteer assistant swim coach at Phoenix Swim Club where he taught technique, coordinated practices and assisted in running swimming meets.

Prior to his time at Grand Canyon University, he served as an assistant swim coach at Ukraine Military Club. He was an athlete instructor for the Ukrainian Swimming Federation, training people of all ages and organizing activities on a daily basis.

Plavin was a decorated swimmer in Europe. He is a 20-time champion in Ukraine and a prizewinner from 2011-2016. In Ukraine, Plavin has held the record in the 4x100m freestyle relay since 2012 and was a silver medalist in the 2013 European Youth Championship in Poznan.

In 2015, Plavin competed in Kazan at the World Swimming Championships, and in 2016, he was a participant in the European Swimming Championships in London. In the 2016 AT&T Winter Nationals, he placed ninth overall in the 50-yard freestyle.