John O'Neill

Position: Head Coach Experience: Fifth season

Set to begin his fifth year on the deck of Crandall Pool, John O'Neill looks to build on the momentum gained during a historic 2004-05 season, during which the Army swimming and diving program reached new heights. O'Neill guided the Army men to a second place finish at the 2004-05 Patriot League Championship, while the West Point women finished third, both improvements from the previous campaign. He also took two Army swimmers to World Championship Trials, and hopes to bring a larger group this year. For his fifth year, O'Neill will welcome back eight All-Patriot League selections and eight Academy record holders in what is sure to be a monumental season on the banks of the Hudson. The returnees are joined by a nucleus of freshmen that will look to rewrite plebe record boards and contribute to unprecedented success for Army.

"One of the reasons people come here is they love to be challenged, whether that's in the classroom or in the pool. That's exactly the thing that makes this place great," said O'Neill. "We're looking for people who want to be challenged, who want to be successful, and who want to make a difference for West Point and for their country.

Following a 17-year stint as the head of the men's and women's swimming and diving program at Providence College, O'Neill accepted the position at Army to get a chance to work with some of the finest student-athletes in America. In his third year at Army, he was named Patriot League "Men's Coach of the Year."

"Everyone associated with our program, from myself to the swimmers, to the divers, to the assistant coaches, our diving coach and the managers, take a lot of pride in every single thing we do," explained O'Neill. "West Point inspires me because of the people here. The cadet-athletes on our team are a special group of young men and women. When you are around that kind of leader - and we are daily here - you want to do your best job as a coach because your cadets deserve nothing less than your best. "

During his time with the Friars, he developed one of the top programs in both New England and the Big East. His very first recruiting class yielded the program's first Big East champion in Horace Bowden, who captured the 1650 freestyle in 1986. O'Neill coached his first two women's conference champions just two years later. Providence's women's team finished with an 11-1-1 record in 1993 en route to a New England Championship. In 1998, he was named Big East "Women's Coach of the Year", and in 1990, 1992 and 1993 was named New England "Women's Coach of the Year". He was also tabbed New England "Men's Coach of the Year" in 1998-99. In 1994, O'Neill was inducted into the Rhode Island Aquatic Hall of Fame. He earned his first Patriot League coaching honor in 2004.

O'Neill began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant at Brown University in 1981. He has also been involved in club level swimming, having served for 10 years as a staff member with the Little Rhody Aquatic Club, one of the most successful USA swimming clubs in Rhode Island history. O'Neill also served as head coach of the Providence Aquatic Club. He has mentored swimmers who have attained junior and senior national cut-off times, as well as NCAA qualifying times. In addition, he has worked with many master swimmers, two of whom have set world records.

A 1981 graduate of Springfield College, O'Neill was a three-year varsity swimmer for the Pride. He earned his master's degree in education from Providence in 1987. O'Neill served as president of the Rhode Island Aquatic Hall of Fame and has volunteered his services in numerous other activities in recent years. He coordinated Providence's Student-Athletes Against Substance Abuse Club and the Varsity Athletics Captain's Club, and was involved with Special Olympics and the Core Committee for the Athletes Seeking Assistance Program. O'Neill acted as the president of the Providence College Professional Staff Council and served a year on the President's Committee on Administration. He is a past president of the New England Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Associations. From 1987-98 he was the Big East Swimming Coaches' president.

In 21 years as a head coach, O'Neill owns a lifetime 217-235-2 record (104-126-1 men, 113-109-1 women). O'Neill and his wife Cindy have three children, Shannon, 20 (a sophomore swimmer at Springfield College), Tom, 18 (a freshman at Providence College), and Meghan, 12.

O'Neill remarks that his time spent at West Point has been the most rewarding of his entire career.

"West Point is an American icon. It's very meaningful and inspiring. Everywhere you look there is history. Simply put, this is the most historic and prestigious school in the country. While you can get busy on a given day and take that for granted, I try not to."