Stanford has posted a job opening for their men’s varsity assistant coaching position, which means that Scott Armstrong is leaving the program. Armstrong has been the assistant at Stanford for 4 years, joining the program as Ted Knapp’s first assistant after he moved up to take the position when Skip Kenney retired after 28 seasons on the Farm.
Armstrong was an 18-time All-American at Johns Hopkins and a team captain in his senior season (2003). After finishing his competitive career, he became an assistant coach at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club. He was with the club through its heyday, including Michael Phelps’ run to 8 gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the peak of Katie Hoff’s World Record setting career. In 2009, he was named the Associate Head Coach at NBAC, serving under 2016 Olympic men’s head coach Bob Bowman, and helped lead the club to back-to-back number 1 rankings in the USA Swimming Club Excellence program.
For his work, he was named the head coach of the U.S. Women’s Team at the 2010 Junior Pan Pac Championships that won the meet title.
In 2015, Armstrong was inducted into the Johns Hopkins Athletics Hall of Fame and upon graduation won the C. Gardner Mallonee Award that is presented to the graduating athlete who “contributed the most to the athletic department” across the school’s sports.
While neither Knapp, Armstrong, or the program’s spokesperson immediately responded to a request for comment, the head coaching position at Armstrong’s alma mater, Division III power Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, opened up this year when longtime coach George Kennedy retired there.
I agree with Coach Chackett. NBAC’s “heydey” was when Bowman was in Michigan? And Paul Yetter coached Hoff.
I thought Michael Phelps and Bob Bowman were in Ann Arbor during his “run up to the 2008 Olympics”. 2005-3008. So coach Scott Armstrong was at North Baltimore for one season with Bowman/Phelps
Armstrong swam with Bowman and Phelps for the spring and summer of 2002, started coaching with NBAC in early 2003 and left NBAC towards the end of 2011.
Hmmmmm, interesting name.
I’ve heard a rumor that former Stanford great, Jeff Kostoff, will be replacing coach Armstrong
I’ve been hearing that rumor too for several months. The thing I can’t get my head around is why a guy in his early fifties would want the job of assistant coach in a place as expensive as Palo Alto/Menlo Park. Of course, as one person told me, “All rumors are just rumors.”
No matter who fills the job, Stanford will be back in the top 7 in 2017.
But remember they were top 3 for decades and decades.
Braden you can re do this article because John Hopkins has made it official! http://www.hopkinssports.com/sports/m-swim/spec-rel/052616aaa.html
Dan – see here! http://swimswam.com/scott-armstrong-become-new-head-coach-johns-hopkins/
Dan-You can redo this comment because it’s Johns Hopkins not John Hopkins
I can’t believe how much cache the Stanford men’s program has lost over the last 5-8 years. It’s a school most kids dream of, but the program is as stale today as it was in the final years of Skip’s tenure.
They had 0 returning points at this years NCAAs and still managed to get 14th. Tom Kremer will be back for his senior season and they have a monster class coming in (Grant Shoults would have scored over 20 points alone). Crazy how even when they win PAC12s it is considered an off year. I would bet on them to return to the top 10 at NCAAs for years to come.
They went like 30 years in a row never finishing below fourth. I don’t care if they had to field a class of all freshman, there’s no reason Stanford should be getting 14th
Agreed. The program needs to clean house and start over. 14th at NCAA’s and a downward trend nearly every year is a telling sign. Stanford gets many of the best recruits and has the best facility/resources in all of college swimming. No excuses.
I greatly enjoyed talking swimming with Scott; he had some interesting takes. A good guy.
I wish Scott and his family future success.
It was just announced on another swim site that he was named the new Head Coach at Johns Hopkins.
Hmmmm… Perhaps Scott took the Hopkins job??