Coach of the Month: Dr. Mangan’s History of Shaping Swimmers

Coach and social studies teacher Dr. Mike Mangan, known as D-Mang, is the head coach of swimming at the high school and has been coaching there on and off for 15 years. Dr. Mangan’s swimming career started at 16, and after high school, he swam for Boston College. The start of his coaching career thrived from his passion to connect with his students beyond the classroom. He reports, “I love swimming and I really like when I get to know the kids outside of the classroom, and see what they like to do.”

He enjoys making the sport a fun place for kids at the school to connect and improve: “Swimming can be tedious and boring and I want to make it a place where the swimmers can compete but also have fun.” His favorite part about coaching the team is the environment; he looks forward to team building activities and seeing athletes create strong relationships through their love for the sport. In his opinion, impactful coaching comes from truly caring about the kids and helping them meet their goals even when they struggle.

Dr. Mangan’s positive outlook translates into benefits for the swimmers: Senior Charlotte Tilley says, “He made a lasting influence on all of our lives.” This season went as well as normal. The girls ended 3-1-1, and the boys ended 4-1. Since Coach Mangan’s return in 2022, girls have been 21-3 and the boys 21-4. Coach is always looking for new swimmers, even with no experience competing. In fact, many athletes use the sport to cross-train for other sports like track. Any athlete can contribute to the team if they put in effort and believe in themselves.

Finally, Coach Mangan emphasized that the continued goals for every season are for the sport to be stress-relieving and good for health. The most important aspect is each student’s experience and having a fun time. If you are interested, don’t hesitate to join; the swimming teams are a fun environment and perfect to meet new people.