Jim Montrella

Jim Montrella began his coaching career in 1959 at the age of 19 when he started a novice swim team at the Lakewood YMCA. This team merged with another in 1964 to become Lakewood Aquatic Club. The team was quickly dominate in age group swimming with his swimmers listed over 100 times in the National Top 10 listings as well as setting numerous new AG records. He took his first swimmer to the National Championships in 1966, had his first finalist in 1967 and qualified 31 swimmers for Nationals in 1971 from a team of 123 members. His best known swimmer was probably Susie Atwood who he taught to swim at age five, joined the team at the age of seven and went on to become a six-time Kiphuth High Point Award winner at US Nationals establishing 18 American Records and 23 National titles in backstroke and IM. She was a two-time Olympian (1968 & 1972) and World Record holder in the 200 backstroke. Susie and her teammates went on to establish two World records, 21 American records and over 50 National titles. During his tenure at Lakewood AC Jim placed eight swimmers on USA Olympic Teams accounting for eight medals (4 Gold, 2 Silver & 2 Bronze)

In 1977 he relocated to Florida to become the Athletic Director and head men’s and women’s swimming coach at Indian River Community College. During his two year tenure he was responsible for scheduling, coordinating, budgeting and staffing ten sports programs, coaching the college swimming teams and coordinating the swimming programs within a three county area. His teams won the National Junior College Athletic Association titles both years, with over thirty swimmers earning All American honors. Jim was voted NJCAA Coach of the Year in both 1978 and 1979.

During his 17 years at The Ohio State University his teams won 5 consecutive Big Ten Conference Championships (1982-86) and 48 swimmers recognized as NCAA All Americans. He coached athletes to 66 Big Ten titles including five swimmers awarded Big Ten Swimmer of the Year honors, one NCAA National Championship (Janelle Bosse, 400 IM 1987), one AIAW National Champion (Marci Ballard, 50 Back 1982) and was twice named Big Ten Coach of the Year (1985 & 1991). Jim encouraged his student-athletes to become involved in community and campus events and stressed the importance of academic success. Fifty of his swimmers earned Academic All-Big 10 honors and the team garnered a consistent Team GPA of 3.02 – 3.31 earning the team consistent recognition on the College Swim Coaches of America All Academic Team. . He mentored five student-athletes who were awarded the Big Ten Medal of Honor (presented to one graduating student-athlete each year based on GPA, athletics and community service.) Swimmer Holly Humphrey was voted the 1994 Ohio NCAA Woman of the Year and was one of the top ten finalists for the NCAA Women of the Year Award. Eight of his swimmers have been inducted into the OSU Sports Hall of Fame.

Jim returned to his native California and assumed his ‘first ever’ assistant coaching position under Mark Schubert at the University of Southern California and Trojan Swim Club in 1997. He is presently coaching age-group swimmers with the Mission Viejo
Nadadores teaching the fundamentals of competitive swimming and the importance of ‘TEAM’.

Jim was awarded The American Swimming Coaches Association Coach of the Year both in 1969 and 1971. He was elected coach of the 1976 USA Olympic Team and was an assistant Olympic coach for Columbia in 1972. He has coached over 20 USA National Teams and served as coach and manager of the US Olympic Development Camps at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Jim has been a speaker at numerous ASCA clinics and has traveled world-wide imparting his knowledge of the sport. He has been a member of ASCA since 1959 and is a past Vice President and Board member. He was a member of the Collegiate Swim Coaches Association of America 1977-2000 and served two terms on their Board of Directors.

Jim received his undergraduate degree from California State-Long Beach (1975) and his master’s degree in Sports Management from Ohio State University (1981). Jim and his wife, Bev, have two daughters, Kristi and Kelly and a grandson, Noah.

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