Mike de Bear, the head coach of one of Ohio’s top high school swimming programs, has announced his retirement from coaching after 24 years. That includes the last 15 seasons as the head boys coach at Upper Arlington High School.
De Bear says that the decision is part of an effort to refocus on his family.
“Since my dad’s passing (in 2018), I have poured more and more into my coaching and have found myself more and more losing focus on my family priorities,” de Bear wrote in a letter to his team. “After much reflection it is clear that now is the time to step back to focus on my family and also myself. That means being a better husband to my wife Nicole, and a better dad to my kids McKayla, Kennedy, and Joey, while taking care of my own mental and physical health.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to coach the best program in the state of Ohio. I would like to thank all of the families that have been part of this program the last 15 years. The willingness to do the work, and trust in the process allowed us to win districts 7 times, finish 2nd in the state 5 times, and as the top public school in the state 9 times. A coach can only be successful by having athletes willing to work as hard as our athletes have. I would also like to thank all of the coaches I have shared the deck with, especially Todd Saltus, Dan Peterkoski, and John Sands, you have made me a better coach and man.”
De Bear says that missing his kids’ swim meets and other activities is getting harder and harder. “My wife told me that we’ve been together 17 years and she’s never seen me not on my phone answering emails and texts.
“I’m excited to worry about my own four walls instead of everybody else’s,” he added.
De Bear says that he will continue teaching history at Upper Arlington High School and will continue to be a ‘swim parent’ with UASC: his three children are all swimmers.
The Upper Arlington High School boys finished as the Ohio High School State Championship meet runners-up for the last five consecutive seasons until this year, when they placed 3rd. In nine of de Bear’s 15 seasons leading the program, they have been the top-placing public high school in the state. They have also won seven district titles.
De Bear is an eight-time district Coach of the Year.
Among the team’s top current swimmers is rising senior Oliver Hulse, who finished 4th at the Ohio High School State Championship meet in the 100 breaststroke (55.65); Caden Blamer, a Brown commit who was 3rd in the 50 free (20.85) and 4th in the 100 back (49.35) at the same meet; and rising junior Sammy DaJusta who was 3rd at the state meet in the 200 free (1:39.34).
Past stars included:
- 2022 and 2023 state champion in the 100 breaststroke Grant Gooding, who is currently swimming at Louisville;
- Reid Caswell, who just finished his first season at Ohio State and is transferring to USC;
- Thomas Trace, an NCAA qualifier at Ohio State;
- Avery Voss, the 2021 Ohio high school state champion in the 100 free and a two-time collegiate All-American for Stanford;
- 2017 Ohio State Champion in the 500 free and two-time Big 12 Champion for the Texas Longhorns Parker Neri;
- and three-time Ohio High School individual state champion Joey Long.
Calling it the best program in Ohio is S-tier trolling in a retirement speech
S’nailed it! I’m all choked up reading this!
Always enjoyed talking on the pool deck with ya, Mike.