Swimming

Former SMU Coach Steve Collins Among Honorees at Annual CSCAA Awards Celebration

May 9, 2024

The College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) hosted its annual awards celebration on Monday night in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Among the honorees was former Southern Methodist University head coach Steve Collins, who was voted as the winner of the National Collegiate and Scholastic Trophy over fellow nominees Anthony Nesty (current Florida head coach) and Kirk Sanocki (former Wingate head coach). The award is considered the CSCAA’s highest honor, recognizing the individual who has made “the greatest contribution to swimming as a competitive sport, and as a healthful, recreational activity in the province of undergraduate and scholastic education.” Voting was open to coaches who are members of the CSCAA for two weeks in February.

Collins retired as head coach of the SMU women last year after 37 seasons in Dallas. He led the Mustangs to two AAC championships, nine WAC championships, and six C-USA championships, totaling 17 conference team championships across his career. Collins also helped coach 33 Olympians since his arrival at SMU in 1986 and served on six Olympic coaching staffs for Bulgaria (two) and Slovakia (four).

The CSCAA also gave out its Lifetime Achievement Award to former Minnesota head coach Dennis Dale, who swam for the Gophers in the 1960s and returned to lead them from 1985 to 2014. They won their first Big Ten title in 70 years back in 1996 before going on to capture six more conference crowns in Minneapolis. The Minnesota men earned five consecutive top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships from 2000-04.

The CSCAA introduced a new award in partnership with Swim Across America, a charity that supports cancer research. Division III powerhouse Emory University raised the most money for cancer research last year at $70,381 under the leadership of head coach Jon Howell. William Kerscher was recognized as the top collegiate swimmer in terms of fundraising.

Former Missouri S&T head coach Doug Grooms was presented with the Richard E. Steadman Award for promoting happiness within the sport.

“Doug Grooms exemplified the true art of coaching,” said Samantha Barany, Executive Director of the CSCAA. “He maintained an unwavering commitment to athlete development, both as a person and as an athlete. He embodies the very best values a coach could possess and as he accepts the prestigious Richard E. Steadman award from the CSCAA, we not only celebrate his remarkable achievements but also recognize his enduring impact on those he had an opportunity to work with.”

Dr. Andrew Young, who swam at Howard University in the 1950s, was honored with the Charles McCaffree Award for his contributions beyond the pool. He enjoyed a long career as an activist and politician that saw him become an ambassador to the United Nations and Atlanta’s mayor for eight years.

“Andrew Young’s influence extends far beyond the boundaries of the swimming community. His pivotal role as a civil rights advocate, aiding Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and contributing to the drafting of both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 had a profound impact on all of society,” Barany said. “As a swimmer at Howard University during an era marked by racial segregation in pools, his journey serves as inspiration whose significance may not be fully grasped. It is with immense pride and respect that we acknowledge the remarkable achievements of Andrew Young.”

Other award winners included social media personality Kyle Sockwell receiving the Ben Franklin Award for his “innovative efforts” in marketing the sport. The CSCAA also inducted dozens of coaches and athletes into the first class of the Division III Swimming & Diving Hall of Fame. Check out the full list below: