Courtesy: Bentley Athletics
WALTHAM, Mass. – An era in college swimming will be drawing to a close at the end of the academic year as legendary Bentley University head coach and aquatics director Mary Kay Samko has announced her retirement.
Samko is nearing the end of her 29th season as the Falcons’ head coach and her 43rd all-time as a collegiate head coach, with her tenure including stints at Tufts University, the University of the South and Southern Connecticut State University. The Northeast-10 Championships from Feb. 13-16 remain on this year’s schedule, as well as the NCAA’s, if the Falcons have any qualifiers.
“Many years ago, Bentley Athletic Director Bob DeFelice reached out to ask me to become the Bentley swim coach,” said Samko. “Since then, Bentley has been my home. Thank you to all of the swimmers and divers who have taught me so much along the way. It has been a pleasure to watch you grow and mature and stay a part of the team that you helped to create. I appreciate the support of the Bentley community and my coaching peers. And of course for the support and love of my family who understand the life of coaches.”
“Mary Kay’s name is synonymous with Bentley’s swim and dive program,” said Anne Kaduboski ’11, a former Falcon All-American, assistant coach and Bentley Athletic Hall of Famer. “Her records speak for themselves, but the success of the program is a testament to her leadership and dedication.
“What truly sets her apart is her unwavering commitment to mentoring athletes, both in the pool and in life, leaving a lasting impact on their lives and the program’s legacy. I genuinely believe I wouldn’t have reached my full potential without her coaching. Mary Kay’s influence at Bentley is profound, and her legacy will continue to inspire for years to come,” continued Kaduboski.
It’s been an amazing run for Samko, who won exactly 600 dual meets during her career and has compiled a 506-148 record since taking over a Bentley program in its third varsity season in 1996.
Her women’s teams are 364-120 all-time and her men’s teams have strung together a record of 236-88.
The successes Bentley has enjoyed have not been limited to just dual competition. Her teams have captured four Northeast-10 men’s championships and 15 New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Association titles (eight women, seven men). There have also been a total of 19 second-place finishes in the NE10.
Samko, who has seen all the school records broken countless times during her nearly three decades at the helm, has been recognized as the Northeast-10 Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year four times and collected seven NEISDA Coach of the Year honors.
“Mary Kay Samko and Bentley swimming and diving have become synonymous over the years. It’s hard to think of one without the other,” said Rick Danehy, Bentley’s diving coach through Samko’s tenure. “It will be her presence on the pool deck that I will miss the most. Mary Kay has a way of instilling confidence in both athletes and coaches alike. She is the most genuine and caring coach I have worked with. She is the coach that other coaches go to for answers and she always has the one.”
“When we first started coaching together back in 2002, she said to me that she only really knew how to build teams and wasn’t sure she knew how to maintain them,” said Mike Kotch, a former Bentley swim captain and baseball player who went on to coach at Brandeis. “29 years later, I think we all know she underestimated herself!
“Mary Kay has been so many things for so many people at Bentley. A coach, a mentor, a friend….I still have light bulb moments based on things she said or did (too) many years ago that I didn’t realize were life lessons that were going to help me navigate through life,” continued Kotch.
“On a personal note, Bentley was supposed to be a stop on the timeline where I would earn a valuable degree, make new friends, and move on to the “real world” chapter of my life. What I couldn’t have ever imagined was that I would be lucky enough to meet people like Coach DeFelice and Mary Kay who would be some of the best mentors, teachers, coaches,” added Kotch. “They took an interest in me, helped me grow as a person, and are a huge part of who I am today. My Bentley experience has paid me back tenfold because of Mary Kay and Coach.”
Samko, a 1976 graduate of Boston College and the 1987 New England Coach of the Year while at Southern Connecticut, was the first woman inducted into the BC Athletic Hall of Fame.
Samko wrapped it up by saying, “Swimming is about times and for me, this is the right time.”
Last year, I had the opportunity to work in the Boston area while still competing at a high level. As someone new to the area with a full time job, pool access was difficult. I reached out and Coach MK graciously helped me through this endeavor, to which I am endlessly thankful. Talking to her swimmers at Bentley, they had nothing but outstanding things to say about Coach MK and the program.
It was always a pleasure coaching against Mary Kay! Well deserved retirement – enjoy it!