The College of Wooster's men's swimming and diving team's first top-three North Coast Athletic Conference Championships finish in two decades was followed up by the Fighting Scots' coaches earning the NCAC Men's Swimming Coaching Staff of the Year honor, which was announced by the conference office on Friday.
Wooster's men overtook Wabash College for good in Saturday's 200 butterfly during a session that saw the teams trade the lead for third-place four times. Two Scots in the 200 butterfly championship final helped Wooster run away from Wabash 87-39 in the event, then the Black and Gold did enough in the three-meter diving competition and 400 freestyle relay to hold onto third.
Wooster's 10 championship final starts at this year's NCAC meet were headlined by junior Josh Pearson and senior Doak Schultz. Pearson lowered his school record in the 200 butterfly to 1:49.65, which is a NCAA Div. III "B" cut, and was the fifth-place time at the championships. Schultz's 52.71 was fifth in the 100 individual medley.
Wooster's relays were led by a fourth-place showing in the 800 freestyle relay. Pearson, sophomore Ryan Gross, first-year Callum Glover, and Schultz went 6:52.14 on the opening night of the conference meet.
The honor is the fifth for Rob Harrington, who is in his 20th year as Wooster's head coach. Harrington has been honored by his peers in consecutive years, collecting the NCAC Women's Swimming Coach of the Year award following the 2022 NCAC Championships. He was the NCAC Women's Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2017 and earned his first honor on the men's side following the 2019 NCAC Championships. Wooster's winningest dual meet coach at 275-102 surpassed Keith Beckett as the program's winningest men's dual meet coach this season. The Scots went 19-1 in dual meets, which included a 9-1 ledger on the men's side.
Harrington is assisted by Kyle Garase, who joined the staff as an assistant in August and Phil Barr, who is completing year two as the program's diving coach.
The NCAC Awards Committee recently enhanced the conference's coaching honors, designating the award for the full staff instead of just the head coach starting with the 2022-23 academic year.