Mel Roberts
Tooele High School
Impact Statement
“We teach kids more than just how to swim fast, we teach them about life.” -Mel Roberts
Biography
In 2010 Roberts completed his 41st season as coach of Tooele’s boys’ and girls’ swimming teams. A high school All-American and championship swimmer at the University of Utah, Roberts has led Tooele to 31 regional championships and 11 state titles. Nine of those have been won by the boys’ team, most recently the 4A title in 2002.
This year’s team finished sixth. His girls’ teams won state crowns in 1999 and 2001. Through the 2008-09 season, his boys’ teams had a record of 452-87 and his girls’ teams had a record of 328-74.
Roberts is a member of the Tooele High School Wall of Fame as an athlete and coach, and has been named Coach of the Year 12 times by the Utah Swimming Coaches Association, which he also served 10 years as president, and currently as secretary-treasurer. The National Federation of State High School Associations named him Boys’ Swimming Coach of the Year in 2005. The National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (NISCA) presented Roberts with its Outstanding Service Award in 1991 and inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2009.
Since being honored, Roberts was honored again in 2017 as he retired at the end of this season after 48 years. As the head of the Tooele swimming program, Roberts makes NHSCA history by becoming the first coach to be honored as both a boys’ and girls’ Coach of the Year.
Roberts, who led both programs to 549 overall victories, was named the NHSCA Boys’ Swimming Coach of the Year in 2010. Roberts’ 549 wins are 200 more than any other swim coach in Utah. In addition to the victories, Roberts’ teams won 11 state titles. Roberts, who is a Toole Alumni, was a great swimmer himself. He won four state titles when he was competing in high school.
Roberts is the first coach from Utah to win the NHSCA Girls’ Swimming Coach of the Year.
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