The National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) announced Larry Rogers, longtime head coach of the Bellarmine College Preparatory swimming program, as the 2015 Boys’ Swimming Coach of the Year. Rogers, the first coach from California to receive this award, is the winningest swim coach in California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) history, having coached the Bells to their 31st consecutive Central Coast Section (CCS) championship this past May.
Rogers, who teaches in the Social Science and Fitness and Health departments, took over Bellarmine’s swimming program in 1981. In addition to the impressive CCS championship record, he can count coaching the Bells to a 1989 national championship amongst his career highlights.
“I am very honored to have been selected for this award by the NHSCA,” said Rogers. “It is always rewarding to be recognized for any endeavor that you challenge yourself with, but in this instance the award should be given to all of the athletes who were part of the success of the swimming program. Without their dedication, commitment, athletic excellence and competitive instincts to achieve at a high level, the success of the program and my coaching career would not have been possible.”
NHSCA coaches of the year represent a multitude of different backgrounds, with their common attribute a strong dedication to the support and development of high school student-athletes.
“This announcement is always a lot of fun for me,” said NHSCA Executive Director Bob Ferraro, Jr. “The coaches we are honoring today are outstanding examples for successful high school coaches in their sport. They place a high value on the teamwork skills their players learn for success in the classroom and on the field, and we are proud to be honoring all of them.”
“It is really exciting to see Larry recognized at the national level by the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) as the coach of the year,” said athletic director Joe Romano. “It is also clearly well-deserved given his standing as the CIF’s winningest swim coach. Larry is a Bellarmine institution and there are many of us – alums, parents and coaches – who are very grateful for all that he does. A great coach, sure; but helping our student-athletes develop into compassionate ‘men for and with others’ is even more important to him.”
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