Mike Stephens - Swimming Coach - Boston College Athletics

Mike Stephens

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
stephemd@bc.edu
Phone:
552-0575

Michael Stephens was named the head coach of the men's and women's swimming and diving team on July 5, 2017. Stephens assumed the interim head coach title in December 2016 upon Tom Groden's resignation. Prior to that, he served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator since joining the program in July 2013.

Over that time period, the program has seen some of its most successful seasons. Stephens has helped create an environment, in which student-athletes can thrive athletically, academically, and personally. Over the last four seasons, he has helped guide both teams to winning records and has seen school records set 72 times. During that period, four student-athletes have achieved NCAA qualifying standards – Taylor Cortens ’19 (200 BR, 200 IM, 400 IM), Dan Kelly ’16 (50 FR), Andrew Stranick ’15 (100 BR), & Nick Henze ’15 (200 FR) and three student-athletes have earned Academic All-America (Taylor Cortens ’19, Dan Kelly ’16, & Andrew Stranick ’15).

On the academic front, the program has excelled with a team GPA generally between 3.2 and 3.4 and regularly ranking amongst the top programs by the College Swim Coaches Association of America. In 2017, the women’s team turned in an impressive 3.42 GPA.

Additionally, Stephens brings an energy and passion for Boston College and the sport of swimming to the pool every day, fostering a strong team culture and an excellent student-athlete experience.

As associate head coach, Stephens held many responsibilities within the program. In addition to his coaching duties, he served as the recruiting coordinator for the team in order to attract high quality student-athletes. Over the last three seasons, Stephens was also responsible for designing and overseeing the strength and conditioning program for a portion of the team to help complement their swim training.

Stephens graduated in May 2016 with an MBA from the Carroll School of Management, concentrating much of his elective coursework in the Lynch Graduate School of Education with a focus in higher education leadership and developmental psychology.
Prior to his return to the Heights, he spent a year working as a financial analyst in the Leadership Development Program for Textron Inc.

Stephens hails from Olney, Maryland and is a 2012 graduate of the Carroll School of Management with a concentration in Finance. Stephens spent four successful years swimming for Coach Tom Groden on the Heights. He was a four-time letter winner and captained the team during his senior season. Upon graduation, he held the school record in the 200 Medley Relay and ranked in the top five all-time in the 100 and 200 Breaststroke. Stephens was a recipient of the Pawlak Award for Special Recognition in 2012 and the Conway Award for Outstanding Sophomore Swimmer in 2010. He also received the Leadership Award from the Athletic Department in 2011.

In addition to his time spent in the water as an Eagle, Stephens also thoroughly enjoyed his time at Boston College in many other facets. He was a member of the Ignatian Society, a group consisting of Jesuit high school alumni seeking to continue the Jesuit tradition of men and women for others through service opportunities and other activities. He was also an active participant in the student-athlete pen pal program, writing weekly letters to elementary school students in Boston. Through academics, athletics, extracurricular activities, and campus life, Stephens formed many great relationships that helped to create an unforgettable experience during his undergraduate years and eventually led him back to his alma mater as a coach.

Stephens’ parents, Bill and Tish, have been and continue to be driving forces in his life and have greatly impacted the success he has had to date. In addition to his parents, he has one sister, Morgan, who coaches lacrosse at UMBC and is a member of the U.S Women’s National Team.