A former Little Rock student-athlete and a 2011 inductee into Arkansas Swimming Hall of Fame, Mike Bailey joined the Trojan swimming and diving program as the team's diving coach during the 2011-12 season. Since then, he has sent several Little Rock divers to the podium at conference as well as the prestigious postseason Zones diving regionals.

Bailey developed an interest in diving from his father, a champion springboard diver in San Antonio, Texas. Bailey attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock as a diver under legendary head coach John Torbett from 1971-75, helping the Trojans capture state diving championships in each of his four years on campus. Bailey graduated in 1975 and moved to Dallas, Texas, to work as a graduate assistant with the SMU swimming and diving team.

Since returning to Arkansas in 1979, Bailey has gone on to become a staple in the central Arkansas diving community, beginning a coaching career that has spanned over thirty years and continues to this day.

In addition to coaching stints at Little Rock under then head coach Richard Turner in the 1980's and 90's, Bailey has coached divers at Hendrix College, as well as numerous high schools and aqua clubs in the central Arkansas area. He has coached numerous All-Conference and All-America selections. Most recently, Bailey coached Conway, Ark., native Toby Stanley, who placed second in the platform diving competition at the 2010 USA Diving Junior National Championships.

In 2012-13 under his tutelage, Megan Scott became the first Little Rock female freshman diver to reach postseason competition. She took part in the 1-meter springboard competition at the Zone D Diving Regional at the University of Houston March 11, 2013.

A 2011 inductee into the Arkansas Swimming Hall of Fame, Bailey is married to the former Ms. Linda Cullers, and has two sons and two grandchildren.