Steve Collins wins National Collegiate Scholastic Trophy

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Former SMU coach Steve Collins wins National Collegiate Scholastic Trophy

February 19, 2024 - Steve Collins, former head coach of the SMU women's swimming and diving team, has been awarded the prestigious National Collegiate and Scholastic Trophy. This award, voted on by the CSCAA’s membership, recognizes a coach who has made the greatest contribution to swimming as a competitive sport, and as a healthful, recreational activity in the province of undergraduate and scholastic education. Collins will be recognized at the 63rd Annual CSCAA Annual Awards on May 6th in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Collins emerged as a finalist alongside current Florida coach Anthony Netsy and and longtime Wingate University coach Kirk Sanocki, representing an elite cohort in the coaching realm.

Collins, who served as head coach for 37 seasons at SMU, has left an indelible mark on the sport, and Southern Methodist University, shaping the lives of countless student-athletes and achieving remarkable success throughout his career. His accolades as head coach of the SMU Mustangs are numerous. As two-time NCAA Coach of the Year and 11-time conference Coach of the Year, Collins led the Mustangs to an impressive 17 conference championships and guided the team to 35 appearances at the NCAA Championships. Under his leadership, SMU earned 15 top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships, with nine of those finishes in the top five.

Throughout his tenure, Collins mentored a remarkable roster of student-athletes, with 61 individuals earning a total of 242 All-America honors and 98 relays being honored. His coaching prowess extended beyond the collegiate level, with 33 of his athletes representing their countries in nine different Olympic Games. Collins' swimmers have achieved success on the international stage, earning medals at prestigious competitions such as the Olympic Games, World Championships, and Pan American Games.

Collins was named one of the CSCAA's 100 Greatest College Swimming & Diving Coaches of the past 100 years in 2021, further solidifying his legacy as one of the sport's most influential figures.

Prior to his tenure at SMU, Collins served as head coach of South Carolina, where he led the Gamecocks to two MCAC conference championships and six top-20 NCAA finishes in seven years. A graduate of Florida State University, Collins captained the Florida State swimming team during his collegiate career.

Collins' dedication, leadership, and passion for the sport of swimming have left an enduring mark on the collegiate athletics landscape. His receipt of the National Collegiate Scholastic Trophy serves as a testament to his extraordinary contributions to the sport and his unwavering commitment to the success and development of student-athletes.