After leading the Brophy Prep boys’ swimming & diving team to their 26th-straight Arizona High School State Championship in the fall, head coach Patrick O’Neill has been named the NHSACA National Swimming coach of the year.
The organization, which was incorporated in 1979, is a national coaching association from across sports that promotes injury prevention and coaches education. Among the well-known past recipients of this award include the late Tim Cahill from Kentucky and Ed Aston, who was the architect of the most famous high school swimming program in history: the Cheshire High School girls who didn’t lose a dual meet for 25 years and took 281 consecutive dual meet wins.
O’Neill has been at Brophy Prep since 2004, so while the streak existed long before his time, he has certainly helped carry it through to a new decade.
The winners from 15 other sports and O’Neill were honored last week at the NHSACA National Convention in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Pat O’Neill is a perfectionist when it comes to coaching.. the engineer in him has it figured out way ahead of time… watching Brophy win the State title in 2013 was watching his plan unfold as predicted… and putting Brophy on the podium even though he did not have the strongest team. But more importantly, Pat is a nice guy, and easy to talk, and downright helpful.
Thanks Pat!
Congratulations on a well deserved honor and recognition! Pat is a mentor and fine example to his swimmers of integrity & dedication in our sport. I’m proud that he coached my son who went on to have a great college swim career at the D1 level. So proud for you, Go Broncos!