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Sports
The Battalion
Page 5 • Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Head coach Mel Nash celebrates 25 years
In a quarter century, Nash has turned A&M swimming and diving into a winner
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By Jordan Meserole
THE BATTALION
Texas A&M men’s head swimming
Mel Nash is never hard to
:ateon the pool deck. His booming
mice and boisterous laugh resonate
llroughout the Student Recreation
ICenter Natatorium. His radiant smile
(tanbeseen from the other end of the
and he readily extends his bear-
hand whenever he sees a new
Nash can make anyone feel wel-
bme in what he has called his home
[fctthe past 25 years.
Foraquarterof a century now. Nash
tttibeen building an A&M swimming
jrogram. that was once considered a
;e. into one of the most respected
Tams in the nation.
Nash got a phone call from
lie University 25 years ago, he said he
ns quite surprised. Nash said he was-
itsure what to think about the oppor-
ity initially, especially based on his
impressions of the school.
‘When 1 had come clown the previ-
i\ear for a dual meet, the pool was
toy, we drove through the bad part of
\m and all I had ever heard about
were the jokes ” Nash said. "1
Mt all that impressed.”
After much consideration. Nash
Keptedthejob. It would be a decision
would eventually add many more
rcomplishments to his resume.
Nash began his swimming career
iiMonroeville. Pa., a small suburb
of Pittsburgh. Before he graduated
high school, Nash had earned a
medal in the Pan American
andairei was named the National
sts, mtvl
School Swimmer of the Year
ami had been a high school All-
Amehcan for four straight years.
Nash went on to attend Indiana
feasity, where he would continue to
. He won eight con-
tank's,participated in 15 NCAA
Championship finals, earned a gold
medal in the 1973 World
Championships and then a bronze
medal in the 1975 World
Championships.
With diploma fresh in hand, Nash
entered the coaching ranks at the
University of Texas at Arlington.
Nash was 22 years old at the time,
making him the youngest head coach
of any sport in NCAA Division I his
tory. After two years, the university
.decided to cut the program, leaving
Nash looking for a job. With A&M
searching for a new coach, the timing
couldn’t have been better.
Nash and his wife Carol packed
their bags in the summer of 1979 and
headed for College Station. It didn’t
take them long to fall in love with the
University and town.
"We were here for about six weeks,
had gone to about three or four football
games, and we both suddenly realized
that we were going to be here a while,"
Nash said. "I felt like this was the place
I was destined to be.”
In his tenure at A&M, Nash’s teams
have achieved 147 wins on the men’s
side and SI wins by the women, both
school records. Over the previous five
years. Nash’s dual meet record of 35-8
is one of the top winning percentages in
the nation. He has coached 38 All-
American men and 23 All-American
women, as well as some w ho have gone
on to medal in Pan American Games,
Goodwill Games and U.S. national
championships.
Assistant coach Jay Holmes, who
has been Nash’s right-hand man for the
past 18 years, said Nash's success
comes largely from his coaching style.
"His instincts are maybe one of the
best in coaching,” Holmes said. "He
coaches from his gut a lot.”
Nash has had many athletes come
to the A&M program with average
See Nash on page 7
Art Wright • THE BATTALION
Texas A&AA men's swimming and diving head coach Mel Nash is in his 25th season as head coach at A&M. Nash has a 147-81 dual
meet record for his career at A&M.
es.
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