COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — As a part of the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America’s (CSCAA) Centennial Celebration, the association has named its list of 100 Greatest College Swimming & Diving Coaches of the past 100 years on Tuesday. Legendary SIU head swimming and diving coach from 1973-1984, Bob Steele, was named to the list.
Just over 500 coaches were nominated. A blue ribbon committee of fifty eight voters selected from 263 finalists, each focusing on a particular sport (swimming or diving) and division. What ties them together, is a record of exceptional success vis-à-vis their peers. Collectively the coaches account for 346 NCAA and NAIA team titles plus an additional 260 individual diving titles. “The voters and committee really deserve a lot of credit for making performance the key criterion” explained CSCAA Executive Director Greg Earhart, adding, “they ensured that each of the three NCAA divisions and the NAIA were represented, yet made sure that a coach’s selection was not simply a product of their longevity or service to the sport.”
In August, Steele, along with former Saluki head coach Rick Walker, was named to the CSCAA’s Blue Ribbon Committee — convening to vote on the sport’s greatest athletes, coaches, and alumni.
Bob Steele guided the Salukis to six National Independent championships and 10 top-20 finishes during his 12-year tenure. Under Steele’s guidance, SIU’s swimmers earned a total of 56 All-American honors. He also coached several U.S. teams in international competition. An SIU alum, Steele was a conference- and national amateur championship-winning swim captain at SIU from 1958 to 1961. Steele was inducted into the SIU athletic Hall of Fame in 1997.
Founded in 1922, the CSCAA is the nation’s first professional association of collegiate coaches. As a part of its centennial, the association is recognizing the 100 Greatest Swimmers & Divers, Coaching Pioneers and 100 Greatest Coaches, 100 Alumni of Impact, and a Centennial MVP Team.
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