Boston College head coach Tom Groden has resigned mid-season, multiple sources have confirmed. The team was informed of the decision on Wednesday by the Athletics Director.
Groden resigned in the middle of his 45th season as the head coach of the program. He first took over in 1972, the year after he graduated, and has been in charge every year since.
BC is a Division I program without athletic scholarships in swimming. Last season, they finished 11th of 12 teams in the ACC in the men’s meet (ahead of diving-only Miami); the Boston College women finished 12th of 13 teams (ahead of diving-only Clemson).
Then-senior Dan Kelly was the team’s highest performer at those ACC Championships, finishing 11th in the 50 free with a 19.78.
Last year, the women’s team finished with a 10-7 mark in dual meets, while the men had their most successful regular season ever with a 12-1-1 team record.
The team’s next meet is scheduled for Saturday January 14th against Marist. The team’s associate head coach is Mike Stephens.
Earlier this year, team captains, as well as Groden, voiced their concern over designs for the new Boston College aquatics center that didn’t include a 3-meter diving board.
We have reached out to Boston College for an explanation for the resignation, as well as for information about what the future holds, but have not heard back.
As a member of the BC Diving team from 1977 to 1980 I will voice my opposition to the way the School decided to exclude 3 meter diving from the new swimming program. I will be on campus early September to host an event for all the alumni divers to participate in the Final Dive Initiative to demonstrate our unified resolve. Happy to talk in person with how ever what’s to discuses this important matter.
James Hector Murphy 109 Sixth Street, Garden City, NY 11530 Cell 516 972-8335
I am very eager to get involved in the discussion about including a 3 meter board in the new BC Aquatic Center. I am a member of the 1978 1979 and 1980 Diver Team. Coach Tom Groden and I are good friends from the new Diving Team experice 40 years ago. My Cell Number 516 972-8335
I am very agar to get invalid in the discussion about including a 3 meter board in the new BC Aquatic Center. I am a member of the 1978 1979 and 1980 Diver Team.
My Cell Number 516 972-8335
Most of us go to BC for the top notch education. Some of us were lucky enough to get a varsity letter. I was a springboard diver in the 80’s. Basically, the non revenue sports don’t get too much attention. It was a huge bonus to be part of a team coached by someone who believed(s) in us as STUDENT athletes and assisted the rest of the community in cultivating quality individuals. Were we the best team ever? No. Did we learn from our experience as swimmers and divers at BC? Absolutely. Did our experience along with our excellent GPAs help us in our adult lives. No question. Do we have tremendous friendships from our time at the pool? The… Read more »
I swam on a full scholarship for the BC womens’ team and graduated 15+ years ago. Many (if not most) of us chose BC swimming for the ability to balance academics and a D1 sport. There was no other D1 program I found that let you CHOOSE which practices to attend and only mandated 5 practices per week. Tom Groden allowed you to choose your major and classes and balance swimming around academics, instead of the other way around. (Of course you’re not going to produce impressive swimming results with this kind of training schedule!) The big joke from the other swim programs and coaches when I was at BC regarding the BC womens’ swim team was ‘the talent all… Read more »
The workouts or training methods haven’t been updated in decades, yet the sport has advanced tenfold in the same time period.
The amount of dual meets they schedule is utterly ridiculous and totally self serving (his record). Kids never get the opportunity to build a consistent training base as they have as many as 17 dual meets when other schools have 7-10.
There has been an assistant that has stayed longer than a year or two, because they are handed all the work and are given little to no help.
Glad you chose to acknowledge the speculative nature of your comments. At BC, Recuits come to the school knowing they are preparing for a lifetime ahead of them ( a philosophy Tom/Mike reiterate time and time again) , and do not and should not choose BC solely Based on the presumption that the incoming pool will barely trump that of your local ymca( disclaimer, the new pool isn’t world class but we will live). Rather, they realize the academic merits of the school and the unique culture and rapidly Improving stature of the team. Unlike many other schools in the ACC, BC boasts a phenomenal retention rate amongst it’s swimmers, with nearly 100% of an incoming class likely to swim… Read more »
If BC is committed to swimming this would be a great opportunity for a dynamic coach. If done well they could emulate Notre Dame or Ivies. However, the Athletic dept is a mess as they havent figured out how to compete in ACC. The AD is a disaster. Mens and WomansvHockey is the only program with any success. As for Groden, 42 years is too long and little or no success to show for all those years.
Good luck getting that coach when there are no scholarships offered for swimming.