Gravity and the sunrise have been just about the only two things more certain over the past 33 years than coach Don Megerle's presence on the pool deck alongside the Tufts men's swimming team.
During his tenure guiding Tufts' winningest team, over a span that has seen eight different US presidents dating back to Richard Nixon, Megerle has won two NESCAC Coach of the Year awards, five New England Coach of the Year honors, and has seen his swimmers excel in regular and post-season competition.
The sun may be setting on Megerle's colorful career with the Jumbos, however. The first-ever Master Coach at Tufts does not plan to return next season to coach the team he has guided for more than 30 years.
Megerle has coached the team since former coach Ed Reed's departure to Brown in the spring of 1971.
"I just happened to walk in at that time. The whole job process was done on the phone," Megerle said. "I came out for an interview, I wanted it, and it was a done deal."
But despite the role chance played in Megerle's hiring, there is no luck in the amount of success Megerle and his teams have had in and out of Hamilton Pool. Hard work and a nearly military-esque coaching style have helped him build a successful program.
Megerle's intense coaching routine included arriving at Tufts before 4 a.m. most days. He was heavily involved in his swimmers' lives and felt maintaining a close relationship with the team ensured success in the pool and beyond. Megerle was highly concerned about the prevalence of alcohol and drugs in college life, and often recommended reduced eating routines for swimmers prior to important meets in hopes of faster times.
The coach will leave Tufts with a 267-81 overall record. Over the past five years alone, the Jumbos have a 39-7 dual-meet record, yielding a .848 winning percentage. Tufts has held steady or moved up in the NESCAC championships standings in each of the last three seasons, finishing third this year.
Further, the Jumbos have had numerous selections to All-NESCAC teams and have sent swimmers to multiple NCAA national meets. This year, Tufts will send its 200 yard freestyle relay team to represent the Jumbos at NCAAs.
Megerle's departure comes as a surprise to many, who viewed the veteran leader as a stalwart of Jumbo athletics. The exact terms of the departure are unclear, and according to both the men and women's swim coaching staffs, he could be returning after a yearlong sabbatical. During next season, he also may still have a role with the team.
Having coached for so long, Megerle insists he needs the time off.
"It's just time for a break," Megerle said. "I want these swimmers to see for themselves, and I know they will, that they can, and will, succeed here with someone else."
Nancy Bigelow, the women's swimming coach and personal friend of Megerle's for 28 years, supports his decision.
"Don's passion for his job and his athletes is evident to all who know him," Bigelow said. "He puts his heart and soul into everything. He gladly shares his knowledge of the sport, and has graciously shared his time."
Megerle won NESCAC Coach of the Year honors this year for the second straight season. Announced last week at the NESCAC Championships at Bowdoin, the award adds to Megerle's collection, which also includes the five New England Coach of the Year selections, the Tufts University Distinguished Service Award in 1996, and an upcoming Award of Service from the Jumbo Club, a distinction usually granted only to alumni.
Megerle also was the recipient of the Dick Steadman Award, presented to him by the executive board of the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) in 1991. He also received the Paragon Award from the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1999, and is poised to win the Bethany Distinguished Alumni Service award from his alma mater, Bethany College, in April. Further, Megerle serves as secretary of the CSCAA and organizes both men's Division I and III national meets.
This season, the team's third-place finish at the NESCAC championships was the highest position Tufts has seen in recent years, which Megerle attributed to the swimmers.
"The team this year was very mature; they knew what to expect," Megerle said. "There were no mysteries, and [the swimmers] knew exactly what they were going up against."
Still, regardless of his success, Megerle doesn't heap praise upon himself. Instead, he says it is he who is thanking all of his swimmers and fellow swim coaches for their contributions as he prepares for his departure.
"It's important to thank people, you should never forget how you got to where you are, because you didn't get there alone," Megerle said. "Somebody, something, some group, your family, someone helped you to get there."
Swimmers agreed, saying it was Megerle who helped them get to where they are today.
"Coach is absolutely amazing," sophomore swimmer Steve Ward said. "This is only my second year [on the swim team at Tufts], but the difference he has made on my swimming and on me as a person [makes it] seem like the time I've known him has been a lot longer."
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