It’s
difficult to tell if Bruce Marchionda excelled more as a swimmer or
as a coach, but he has an impressive resume either way you look at
it. As a student at Quigley High School, the Aliquippa native was
named All American his senior year in 1975 and at Westminster
College made All American three more times, the first ever
Westminster swimmer to receive the award. He concluded his
collegiate career as a six time All American and qualified for the
1980 US Olympic Trials. After college, Bruce continued to swim at a
master level, winning three more All American awards. As a coach,
Bruce took a job at Norfolk Academy in Virginia, where he coached
the boys and girls teams to 15 state championships over the next
fourteen years, producing 79 different state champions, 27 of whom
earned high school All American honors and 12 who garnered
Academic All American laurels. Bruce was named Virginia Swimming Coach
of the Year five times and Coach of the Decade in the 1980s for
state prep schools. Bruce also implemented and ran a club swim team
in Norfolk for eleven years, winning 11 division team championships
and setting 18 records along the way to a stunning 54-1 record.
Bruce took over the Clemson University swim program in 1993 and
coached both the men’s and women’s teams, including five swimmers
who participated in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games. He coached
numerous NCAA All Americans and his swimmers established 34 records
during his eight years at Clemson. He was named Coach of the Year in
1997 when his women’s team won the Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Bruce took over Western Kentucky University swim team in 2002 and
converted it into a Top Ten national program. His women’s team won
the Sun Belt Conference championship four consecutive years
(2002-2005) and his men’s team won the title in 2005 and 2006.
Bruce’s overall record at Western Kentucky was 37-3.
It’s
difficult to tell if Bruce Marchionda excelled more as a swimmer or
as a coach, but he has an impressive resume either way you look at
it. As a student at Quigley High School, the Aliquippa native was
named All American his senior year in 1975 and at Westminster
College made All American three more times, the first ever
Westminster swimmer to receive the award. He concluded his
collegiate career as a six time All American and qualified for the
1980 US Olympic Trials. After college, Bruce continued to swim at a
master level, winning three more All American awards. As a coach,
Bruce took a job at Norfolk Academy in Virginia, where he coached
the boys and girls teams to 15 state championships over the next
fourteen years, producing 79 different state champions, 27 of whom
earned high school All American honors and 12 who garnered
Academic All American laurels. Bruce was named Virginia Swimming Coach
of the Year five times and Coach of the Decade in the 1980s for
state prep schools. Bruce also implemented and ran a club swim team
in Norfolk for eleven years, winning 11 division team championships
and setting 18 records along the way to a stunning 54-1 record.
Bruce took over the Clemson University swim program in 1993 and
coached both the men’s and women’s teams, including five swimmers
who participated in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games. He coached
numerous NCAA All Americans and his swimmers established 34 records
during his eight years at Clemson. He was named Coach of the Year in
1997 when his women’s team won the Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Bruce took over Western Kentucky University swim team in 2002 and
converted it into a Top Ten national program. His women’s team won
the Sun Belt Conference championship four consecutive years
(2002-2005) and his men’s team won the title in 2005 and 2006.
Bruce’s overall record at Western Kentucky was 37-3.