To see all of the 2014 Swammy Award winners, presented by TYR, click here.
2014 Honoree: Harvey Humphries, the University of Georgia
It seems like a no-brainer to give the NCAA Women’s Coach of the Year award to the head coach of the NCAA Champion women’s team.
But there’s two flaws in that logic:
1) We’re SwimSwam, and we don’t always believe in the ‘obvious’ choice being the ‘correct’ choice.
and
2) It wasn’t entirely obvious who the head coach was of the 2014 women’s NCAA Champion Georgia Bulldogs.
The Collegiate Swim Coaches’ Association of America (CSCAA), when handing out their 2013-2014 awards, dodged that bullet altogether by just giving the honor to Greg Meehan, the head coach of the runner-up Stanford women, and they didn’t miss the mark either: Meehan had his team firing on all cylinders, and they were about as good as they could be at NCAA’s.
To us, though, the uncertainty in Georgia makes us even more certain about who deserves this award: the 2014 “acting” head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs, Harvey Humphries.
Georgia head coach Jack Bauerle spent the majority of 2014 on suspension, meaning it was the year of Harvey. Despite an awkward situation with an NCAA investigation that took way too long and left way too much in limbo, Humphries kept his team focused and sharp at the year’s biggest meet as they won an NCAA title that was a no-doubter from the first event.
Bauerle will retake his throne at the helm of the program this week after the NCAA announced that his time served was enough to warrant a return to on-deck coaching immediately.
But for the year 2014, the year of Harvey, the Bulldogs didn’t miss a beat. And not to cage this in just Humphries deserving the award for overcoming a tough situation – Georgia had the best swimmer in the NCAA in 2014 Brittany MacLean, who won the 500 and the 1650 frees in March and set NCAA Records in both in the process.
We don’t know if coach Humphries will ever again get a shot as a head coach in the NCAA. We sure hope he does, and he deserves it, but if not, 2014 is enough to prove that he’s got the chops to do it.
Honorable Mentions:
- Greg Meehan, Stanford – To be clear, our above comments about Meehan were no disrespect to the Stanford coach. If we were starting a women’s college program right now, our choice for head coach would be Meehan. When Stanford hired Meehan away from the Cal men’s-only program in the summer of 2012, it was a bit of a gamble, but a gamble that has shown to pay off. In 2014, he revived the career of Felicia Lee, he turned Maya DiRado from a great swimmer into a star, and his team won four out of the five NCAA relays. That’s a fantastic year by any measure.
- Mike Dhrader, San Diego State – The Aztec women have been a good mid-major program for a long time, but 2014 was a breakout year for San Diego State. The team placed 27th at NCAA’s on the back of freshman sprinter Anika Apostalon. Not only was Apostalon good, but she was gutsy. Apostalon was involved in three swim-offs at the meet: one in the 200 free relay for a spot in the B-Final, one in the 50 free for a spot in the A-Final (she swam 21.89 in both of those instances), and one for a spot in the B-Final of the 100 backstroke, and she won them all. Along with NCAA teammates Mikaela Macklin, Natilee Ruiz, Whitney Weisz, and Chelsea Bailey, only one of whom graduated, the Aztecs made the country take notice.
Harvey is well deserving of this. Honored to call him coach as well as a friend. He has many accolades to his coaching career that expand both club and to UGA, and he is a great representative for USA Swimming. All the coaches – Stef, Brian, Jerry, Joss and the support staff have been remarkable this past year. Harvey kept all focused. Always has a smile and always a positive comment. Proud my girls have gotten their childhood dream to swim for Harvey and Jack. Go Dawgs Go. Welcome back Jack. Most of all, Congratulations Harvey.
Harvey has been rock solid, committed, passionate for decades…. and always beaming with a smile as his swimmers excel! He has taken swimmers with extraordinary talent to the top and those with little or average talent to a higher level of excellence and confidence than they ever could have had without him! Any swimmer who has had Harv touch their lives knows he is an extraordinary gift to their life in and out of the pool! And is so deserving of the highest honor! If someone was smart they would have him a coach on the next U.S. Olympic team!!!
Harvey has been a dedicated and loyal Coach and Bulldawg for many years. He really deserves this honor for leading the Lady Dawgs to the National Championship. His leadership of the Men’s team is 2014 was also noteworthy. Nice to see this fine gentleman recognized nationally.
Congrats to Harvey (and the rest of the UGA staff (and athletes). Well, well deserved! Exceptionally happy to have Coach Jack Baurle back as well. He is a stand-up man who took the slings and arrows head on and never flinched. I am proud to have a daughter who has been coached by all of these great folks (including Carol Capitani).
A great story that a friend of mine told me about Harvey…
He brought his team to train at UGA and he was telling Harvey about this girl he coaches that is really talented and he wanted Harvey to watch her in practice….and Harvey cut him off and told him “there are 10000 kids with talent; I want to know 2 things…does she train and does she love it?”
Pretty much sums it up! Awesome!
This is a well deserved award to a great coach. He is trulyAmerica’s best kept secret…and always has a smile!
Harvey, so happy you’e proven worthy! i appreciate all the times you and Jack and I have met up during up (gym and swim) meet,and That I have gotta to be in touch with both of you, and for the sports guidance and life you have taught Ken and I. over the years, Please share this with Jack, Love you both!