Tim Powers will begin his 37th season as the head coach for Brigham Young University swimming and diving. His tenure is longer than any other current swimming coach in the United States.
Powers coached both the men and womens team from 1975 to 1981 where he coached Lelei Fonoimoana, the first BYU female All-American. He then turned the womens team over to Stan Crump and directed his full attention to the mens squad. After 27 years of having a split program, Powers is back at the head of both the mens and womens swim and dive teams.
Over his years at BYU, Powers has accumulated 20 conference titles, including the first five consecutive mens Mountain West Conference championship titles. His swimmers have captured several individual conference titles, earned 46 All-America awards and swam in the finals of every major world competition. Coach Powers has also seen a total of 16 swimmers from 10 different countries compete in the Olympic Games.
Earned league coach of the year honors six times, including four straight years from 2001-04. He has also been awarded the Master Coach Award, presented by the Collegiate Swim Coaches Association of America, in 1990. The criteria for the prestigious award includes coaching teams to conference championships, recording at least 11 consecutive winning seasons, placing swimmers on Olympic teams and coaching athletes to NCAA All-America status. Powers has also received the Distinguished Coach Award and Distinguished Service Award given by the CSCAA and the level five certificate in coaching by the America Swimming Coaches Association, the highest ranking bestowed on coaches.
Recently came off a four-year appointment of serving on the NCAA swimming committee, which makes up the rule book among other things. Powers has served on the Board of Directors for the CSCAA on several occasions. He has served as President of the College Swimming Coaches Association of America.
Swimming has been an important part of Powers life. He was an age-group national record holder, a junior college All-American at Merritt College and the Big Sky Conference champion in the 50 and 100 freestyle events at the University of Montana.
He graduated from Montana with a B.S. degree in health and physical education in 1968. Coach Powers served as a Captain in the Army and served in Vietnam, earning the Bronze Star and Air medals. He then returned home and earned a Masters degree in physical education from San Jose State in 1973.
Powers and his wife Patcee have two daughters and are the proud grandparents of eight.
