The American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA), the largest industry group for swim coaches in America, has announced their 2025 award winners.
ASCA gives awards across three categories: Age Group Coach of the Year (for three different team sizes), Impact Coach of the Year, and overall Coach of the Year.
Award Winners
ASCA Fitter & Faster Age Group Coach of the Year Winners
- Small Teams Division: Connie Wu – Stamford Sailfish Aquatic Club – CT
- Medium Teams Division: Brian Pajer – Aquazot Swim Team – CA
- Large Teams Division: Peter O’Donnell – Long Island Aquatic Club – MR
Impact Coach Award
This award recognizes swimming coaches who have committed extraordinary time and energy to positively impact the lives of others through their dedication, hard work, and service.
- Nicole Cicalo-DeCaro, Bergen Barracudas Swim Team
George Haines ASCA Coach of the Year:
This award recognizes a coach whose “coaching effectiveness has contributed the most towards American Swimming Excellence at the World level.”
- Todd DeSorbo – UVA
Full List of ASCA Coach of the Year Winners (All-Time):
- 1961 Doc Counsilman
- 1962 Peter Daland
- 1963 Dick Smith
- 1964 George Haines
- 1965 Don Gambril
- 1966 George Haines
- 1967 George Haines
- 1968 Sherm Chavoor
- 1969 Jim Montrella
- 1970 Don Watson
- 1971 Jim Montrella
- 1972 George Haines
- 1973 Bob Miller
- 1974 Dick Jochums
- 1975 Mark Schubert
- 1976 Mark Schubert
- 1977 Paul Bergen
- 1978 Paul Bergen
- 1979 Randy Reese
- 1980 Dennis Pursley
- 1981 Mark Schubert
- 1982 Dick Schoulberg
- 1983 John Collins
- 1984 Randy Reese
- 1985 Nort Thornton
- 1986 Richard Quick
- 1987 Bud McAllister
- 1988 Bud McAllister
- 1989 Dick Schoulberg
- 1990 Jon Urbanchek
- 1991 Eddie Reese
- 1992 Richard Quick
- 1993 Skip Kenney
- 1994 Honor removed
- 1995 Jon Urbanchek
- 1996 Murray Stephens
- 1997 Mark Schubert
- 1998 Richard Quick
- 1999 Richard Quick & Mark Schubert
- 2000 Peter Banks
- 2001 Bob Bowman
- 2002 Teri McKeever
- 2003 Bob Bowman
- 2004 Eddie Reese
- 2005 Eddie Reese
- 2006 Eddie Reese
- 2007 Bob Bowman
- 2008 Bob Bowman
- 2009 Eddie Reese
- 2010 Gregg Troy
- 2011 Gregg Troy
- 2012 Bob Bowman
- 2013 Bruce Gemmell
- 2014 Bruce Gemmell
- 2015 Bruce Gemmell
- 2016 Dave Durden
- 2017 Ray Looze
- 2018 Greg Meehan
- 2019 Mike Parratto
- 2020 No Award Given
- 2021 Gregg Troy
- 2022 Anthony Nesty
- 2023 Dave Durden
- 2024 Anthony Nesty
- 2025 Todd DeSorbo
Former swimmer here, I swam under Connie Wu at Greenwich Marlins from age 10-15. All these people making cruel remarks in the comments should be ashamed of themselves, and if I had to guess are just disgruntled parents who have nothing better to do, get a life. At the end of the day, Connie is someone who cares deeply about all her swimmers and goes above and beyond to train and advocate for them. She runs a serious, technically-driven program where you go only if you are serious about becoming the best swimmer you can be. I can say without a doubt she is one of the best coaches I have ever had, and I am sure the people who… Read more »
I can’t agree more! Well said!
When USA Swimming, ASCA and others hand out awards based SOLELY performance (for the club coaches) without any research into things like culture, behavior, ethics and more, they make themselves look even dumber than they already are. Everyone here in CT is shaking their heads at Connie Wu winning a “Coach of the Year” award….IYKYK. Unreal and embarrassing to ASCA.
CT is a small state and there aren’t any mega teams with multiple pools/coaches under the same team name – such as NCAP. There are a lot of different teams very close to each other and if a team isn’t meeting the emotional and/or physical needs of a swimmer, in lower Fairfield County specifically, there’s a completely different team available 15-30 min away in almost any direction no matter where your starting point is. “Everyone” in CT isn’t shaking their head at Connie Wu winning coach of the year. She established a team out of nothing and it’s growing every season. Some swimmers are there from the start and some move to the program when they’re older. This is true… Read more »
Hahaha the sour grapes! Indeed! We happen to have good experiences in both teams! We are with Connie because she cares and she has the best technique training in the area.
So jealous that you had to bad mouth people?
Omg… First hand knowledge…. Connie Wu would bite kids, throw things at them and call them fat when she coached at the Greenwich YMCA. There were safe sport (justified) complaints made against her.
Now she just violates every recruiting rule and berates kids when they don’t swim well – but hey, at least they swim fast, right? Embarrassing to name someone like that “Coach of the Year.”
The Stamford Club doesn’t have parents who will stand up to her. She makes fast age groupers who fade into oblivion because she ruins them mentally.
You still don’t understand do you? No parents “stand up” to her because there’s nothing to stand up for! I trust Connie, we all do! She corrected my kid’s bad forms in a year and taught him the right techniques. I thought he’d hit plateau 2 years ago but he kept dropping time since we joined the team. I can’t thank Connie enough. You should find better things to do, such as focusing on your own kids’ swimming or focusing on the team you are coaching.
Pretty sure ASCA does these awards simply based on # of fast kids with AAA+ times, ability to actually coach on the other hand…
We’ve been in the team for 2 years, Connie always shows genuine care to every kid in the team, pushing them to be the best version of themselves every single day.
We also had a German coach in the past, more strict than Connie. As a parent I love them both. Without them my kid wouldn’t be where he is.
You don’t like Connie or any tough coach, simply leave. But don’t spread hatred and lies.
No awards given one hit wonder
Well deserved.
Was SwimSwam’s very own Randy the 1979 and 1984 recipient?!
Don’t summon Randy
u HAVE SUMMONED me. Hello.
Randy
Bowman robbed!
Yep!!
Bob Bowman’s American swimmers didn’t win a single Worlds individual gold. They won several silver.
DeSorbo’s American swimmers won several individual gold.
DeSorbo sent 8 American swimmers to the Worlds, 5 medaled !
DeSorbo sent 7 American swimmers to WUG, 6 medaled !
and Bowmans American swimmers?
the award is for coaching “American Swimming Excellence at World Level”
EXACTLY!
the award is for coaching “American Swimming Excellence at World Level”
In Singapore:
De Sorbo’s American swimmers won THREE individual 🥇🥇🥇
They also broke an American record and two Championship records.
Bowman’s American swimmers won ZERO individual gold.
And they broke ZERO American and Championship Record.
Bowman’s best American swimmer got beaten by THREE different swimmers from three different countries in all her individual finals!
/thread
Of our brothers!
Epic!!
Haha…
Why isn’t this the Doc Counsilman award? He was the first winner and perhaps the greatest early coach.
It’s all politics, man.
Name was changed in 2015, about a decade after both died (Doc in 2004, George in 2006).
At the time, John Leonard basically ran ASCA as his own little kingdom, so I’m sure he had a good reason that was personal to him.
Haines produced both male and FEMALE top-flight swimmers at “the world level.” Look at all of his Olympic medalists from Rome, Tokyo, and Mexico City. Counsilman produced mainly just male ones.
Counsilman produced some great NCAA swimmers some of whom did well at the world level. However, Doc’s most famous swimmer, Mark Spitz, was a Santa Clara SC creation.
I have a higher regard for John Leonard than you apparently do.
you have a higher regard for John L than MOST do….
That’s a really low bar
Some time in the distant past, he invited me to be a keynote speaker at the annual ASCA convention. I enjoyed my interactions with him.
I’ve met 10 of the coaching award recipients in person, and my favorite three were Skip Kenney, Richard Quick, and Nort Thornton.
It is unsurprising to me that someone who calls themselves “Alligator Alcatraz Swim Club” is a big fan of guys like John Leonard and Skip Kenney.
Next time you see John, ask him who paid for his kid’s private school education.
John Leonard was a corrupt leader.
Who married one of his swimmers
That’s a shame.
Actually, I made the argument to put George’s name on the award, and made the motion to the ASCA Board to do so. The purpose of putting coaching greats names on the awards was/is to keep their memory and example alive. There already was the “Doc Counsilman” creative coaching awards at ASCA, so Doc was well covered. One can make the case for various coaches as the greatest of all time is because the criteria can vary. Congratulations to Coach DeSorbo! For more on George Haines one might look at the SwimSwam article: https://swimswam.com/lessons-from-legends-the-myth-of-george-haines/#:~:text=If%20his%20life%20as%20a,silver%20and%2010%20bronze%20medals.
Well, said Chuck
Good input Chuck ! just read the swimswam article – excellent. Now how to keep our greats in view of current. Good History ! Select 1 coach of the year (others were successful) can be a challenge some times but Todd results bore that out.
In the day, George Haines was the man.