Anthony Nesty, Kirk Sanocki, Steve Collins Finalists for National Collegiate Scholastic Trophy
Anthony Nesty, Kirk Sanocki and Steve Collins were named finalists for the CSCAA’s National Collegiate Scholastic Trophy this week.
The award for coach of the year will be bestowed at the 63rd annual CSCAA College Swimming and Diving Awards on May 6 in Indianapolis. The voting is conducted by CSCAA member coaches online from Feb. 2-16.
Collins coached at SMU through 2023, on the deck for 37 seasons. He was twice named NCAA Coach of the Year and an 11-time conference coach of the year. He led the Mustangs to 17 team conference championships (two AAC, nine WAC, six Conference USA) and 15 top-10 finishes at NCAAs. He’s a member of the 2021 CSCAA 100 Greatest Coaches of the last century.
Collins also coached for the Bulgarian Olympic team at two Olympics and the Slovakian team at four Games. He’s coached 33 Olympians and 373 conference champions.
Sanocki has led Wingate for 38 combined seasons (21 women’s, 17 men’s), transforming them into a Division II power. The Bulldogs women were sixth at NCAAs in 2021 and the men seventh. Sanocki has coached 44 national champions and 534 All-American swims.
Sanocki was appointed to the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championship Committee in 2019 and has served as the president of CSCAA.
Nesty is in his sixth season at the helm of the University of Florida’s men’s team and third leading the women’s team. He’s up to 24 overall seasons on the coaching staff in Gainesville. Nesty has been a part of the Gators winning 11 consecutive SEC men’s swimming and diving championships. The men were sixth at NCAAs in 2023 with four national champions and 42 All-American performances. The women were ninth at NCAAs last year with 16 All-Americas.
The 2023 SEC Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year returned to Gainesville in 1998 after winning a gold medal in the 100 fly at the 1988 Olympics and a bronze in 1992 for Suriname. This summer, he will be the first Black head swim coach of the U.S. team at an Olympics. Among his charges in Gainesville are Bobby Finke, Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel.
All well deserved!