Courtesy: Cal Poly Athletics
SAN LUIS OBIPSO, Calif. — Cal Poly swimming & diving head coach Phil Yoshida announced that he has added former Mustang swimmer Alan Peterson as the program’s newest assistant coach.
Peterson is no stranger to Cal Poly or the Central Coast. He grew up in San Luis Obispo, graduating from San Luis Obispo High School in 2012 where he was a four-year varsity swimmer. He then attended Cal Poly where he swam for the Mustangs for four years, graduating in 2016 with a degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Science. He also received a teaching credential from Cal Poly in 2019.
“I am thrilled to have Alan Peterson join our staff,” Yoshida said. “Bringing him back ‘home’ is exciting for me, the team and the alumni. His previous experience as our volunteer assistant for several years will pay huge dividends as we hit the ground running coming of the restrictive struggle that was 2020-2021.”
As a swimmer for the Mustangs, Peterson was a team captain his senior year. During the 2016 MPSF Championships, he placed 11th in the 500 free and 12th in the 1650 free. He was also a three time all-academic honoree, once for the PAC-12 and twice for MPSF.
As a coach, Peterson was an assistant varsity swim coach at Arroyo Grande High School from 2013-17. Between 2016-19, he was also a coach for the San Luis Obispo Swim Club while also serving as the Cal Poly swimming & diving volunteer assistant coach from 2017-19. In 2020-21, he was a coach for the Rancho San Dieguito Swim Team in which he oversaw the swimming development for kids of all ages.
“Alan’s attention to detail, work ethic, and love for swimming and Cal Poly made him stand out from the pool of applicants,” Yoshida added. “His coaching experience has been gradually elevated over time and he has found success at every level. I feel fortunate to have been able to draw him away from his duties with Rancho San Dieguito Swim Team working for renowned coach Joe Benjamin. I look forward to having Alan implement some of his style and philosophy to technique and speed work on a regular basis.”
