Courtesy: SMU Athletics / American Athletic Conference
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (American/SMU) – SMU head women’s swimming coach Steve Collins has been named the 2018-19 American Athletic Conference coaches association chair, a position voted on by the league’s head coaches.
Collins is in his 33rd year at the helm of the women’s swimming and diving program, and has twice been named The American coach of the year following conference championships in 2015 and 2016. In May, Collins was honored by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America for his 40 years of distinguished service in college coaching.
A two-time NCAA Coach of the Year and 11-time conference Coach of the Year, Collins has led the Mustangs to 17 conference championships in the past 22 seasons and has made an appearance at the NCAA Championships in each of his seasons on the Hilltop. During his tenure, SMU has 15 top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships, nine of those in the top five.
Under Collins, 58 individuals have earned 237 All-America honors, and 98 relays have been honored. The conference championships total 350, and 30 athletes have competed in eight different Olympics.
Collins has guided nine student-athletes to conference swimmer of the year awards, including three-time Conference USA selection Therese Svendsen, three-time WAC selection Martina Moravcova and two-time WAC selection Georgina Lee. Most recently, Matea Samardzic earned back-to-back honors in The American.
The Mustangs open the 2018-19 season Oct. 12 when they host the two-day SMU Classic at the Robson and Lindley Aquatics Center and Barr-McMillion Natatorium.
It’s time for him to retire
Sinnott too.