Biography

Higgins has become an institution in his 48 years as coach of the boys and girls swimming teams at Westminster. His teams have won nearly 600 dual meets, and both his boys’ and girls’ teams have won 19 Class 1-4A state team titles, a total of 38 state crowns. Higgins’ teams have swept the boys’ and girls’ titles eight times, including four straight from 2003-06. His girls’ teams won six straight crowns from 2001-06 and were state runners-up the past two seasons, while his boys’ teams own a current six-year title streak.

More than 100 of his swimmers have become high school or independent school All-Americans, and  three of his swimmers have gone on to become members of the U.S. Olympic Team.   His swimmers hold four all-class state records, three of them owned by the girls’ team.

Higgins was named Coach of the Year four times in the past decade by the Georgia High School Swimming Coaches Association.  He was named Coach of the Year by the National Federation of High School State Associations in 1989 and was inducted into the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Circle of Achievement in 1997.

Since being honored in 2008, Higgins continued to dominate Georgia swimming. His boys’ teams have won 22 state championships until his retirement in 2016.

Over his storied coaching career, he has coached 41 Georgia State Champions and 140 High School All Americans. In addition, he coached one Pan American Games Gold Medalist and four Olympic Team Members.

Higgins passed away in 2019, leaving a long legacy in the swimming community in Georgia, and nation wide.

Records

Coached 41 Individual Georgia State Champions

Team won 22 State Championships

Professional Achievements

2016 National Interscholastic Swim Coaches of America (NISCA) Hall of Fame Inductee

Westminster Hall of Fame Inductee

2x NFHS Coach of the Year

1997 Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Circle of Achievement