AURORA | Mike Doherty, coach of the Regis Jesuit boys swim team since before the school moved to Aurora, has decided to retire after 32 years.
Doherty, 54, built the Raiders into the state’s preeminent juggernaut in the pool with a total of 20 Colorado state championships and four NISCA national championships.
After a daily evaluation over the summer of the amount of time required to serve as the school’s dean of students as well as head swim coach — which can push 80 hours a week in the spring — Doherty felt the time was right to step down.
“I spent the summer just praying and talking with people I respect and thinking about whether this was something I should continue doing,” Doherty said Monday. “I felt like after 32 years, it wasn’t in my heart to do it anymore. I still really enjoy the kids and the practices, but there are a lot of things that have been conflicting. The spring season with our graduation has become very difficult.”
Doherty’s finally tallies as a coach are staggering and he leaves the school’s trophy case literally crammed with championship hardware.
Under his guidance, the Raiders finished 387-31 in dual meets, a mark that included a streak of 234 consecutive victories between March of 1990 and March of 2010.
Ninety-one All-Americans — the same number as the total tallying of state championship-winning individuals and relays — have passed through the Regis Jesuit program in that time, while 112 swimmers went on to compete in college.
Since winning their first state title in 1992, the Raiders have won every championship with the exception of 1994 when Cherry Creek won and 2010, when a Highlands Ranch co-op team made up of swimmers from five different schools took the title.
The fastest team of Doherty’s tenure was his last, as the Regis Jesuit team that cruised to the 2012-13 5A state title in May rewrote the school’s recordbooks.
The Raiders finished second in the NISCA national championship chase to The Bolles School from Florida, but set six of the 12 existing Colorado state records. Clark Smith, now at the University of Texas, and senior Hennessey Stuart each hold individual state marks, while the 200 and 400 yard freestyle teams also set standards.
“Last year’s team was the best team I’ve ever coached, but I didn’t want to walk away when there was nothing left,” Doherty said. “There are still some great kids in the program.”
Doherty has a long time as Regis Jesuit coach to reflect on.
He took over as coach of the swim team in 1981, when the high school sat on the campus of Regis University in North Denver. It moved to Aurora in 1990, but for 10 years, the school had no pool, so Doherty had to take his teams to practice at rec centers or other high schools until the school built it’s current swim bubble in 2000.
The early years still hold a fond place in Doherty’s heart, including the swimmers that won the first state championship in 1992.
“We went through 18 years without a home pool, so those kids that really built this on the front end, it was a testament to their commitment having to drive all over town,” Doherty recalled.
“Winning our first state meet is also something that stands out because it took us so long. We came in second like five times, so getting over the hump the first time I’ll never forget.”
Kelly Doherty — Regis Jesuit’s athletic director and Mike’s brother — is already on the lookout for the school’s next swim coach.
The question is, can the program sustain the level of success it is used to without Doherty?
“It’s high school, so you can’t speculate on that,” Mike Doherty said. “If you don’t have a good freshman class come in and you can’t replenish the team, it can’t sustain itself.
“That said, I think we have all the traditions and mechanisms in place to keep the program strong.”
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555. Follow @aurorasports on Twitter and find the Aurora Prep Sentinel page on facebook.
MIKE DOHERTY’S COACHING CAREER AT REGIS JESUIT
National championships: Four (1992, 1997, 2004, 2005)
State championships: 20 (1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013)
All-American swimmers: 91
Academic All-American swimmers: 86
Collegiate swimmers: 112
