Missouri S&T Swimming Coaching Staff

DOUG GROOMS begins his 11th season as the head coach of the Miner swimming program after leading the team to a national runner-up finish in the 2007-08 season.

The second place finish by the Miners at the 2008 NCAA Division II Championships was the highest finish ever for a Missouri S&T athletic team at a national competition. All 13 members of the Miners who competed at the national meet earned All-America honors during the four-day meet, including a second place finish by freshman Zlatan Hamzic in the 200-yard breaststroke, and the team set nine school records during the national meet.

Missouri S&T's performance at the meet helped earn Grooms the national "Coach of the Year" award from the College Swimming Coaches Association of America.

A year earlier, Missouri S&T finished fourth at the 2007 NCAA Division II Championships, with all 12 of its participants earning All-America honors during the meet. Over the course of the four-day meet, the Miners established nine new school records and the 12 individuals earned a total of 37 All-America awards -- including the relays -- of which 17 came on an individual basis. The fourth place showing was the Miners' best performance at the national meet in nearly a decade.

In addition to the success at the national level, where Missouri S&T finished among the top 10 for the 12th time in the last 13 seasons, the Miners claimed their secfond straight championship at the New South Intercollegiate Swimming Championships.

At the 2006 NCAA Division II Championships, all 11 Missouri S&T competitors that went to Indianapolis for the meet earned All-America honors to continue the Miners' run of success at the national level.

In the nine previous seasons under Grooms, the Miners have had three national championship performances. Missouri S&T's 200-yard freestyle relay team won back-to-back national titles in 2001 and 2002, while the 400-yard freestyle relay team claimed the national championship at the 2002 meet.

The Miners recorded a sixth place finish at the 2005 NCAA Division II Championships as all eight of the Miners that took part in the national meet earned All-America honors. All told, the eight performers at that meet posted 17 personal bests at the meet held in Orlando, Fla. The sixth place showing came on the heels of a ninth place effort in 2004, as again all of the Missouri S&T participants -- nine in all -- earned All-America honors.

The Miners finished 13th in 2003 at the NCAA meet after posting back-to-back fifth place finishes in 2001 and 2002. Missouri S&T saw all six of its participants that competed at nationals earn All-America honors in 2003. The Miners had All-America showings in 10 individual events and in all five relays during the 2003 national meet.

In 2002, the Miners posted their highest point total ever at a national meet with 302½ points to place fifth which included the two national championships. The Miners’ 200- and 400-yard freestyle relay teams pulled out the titles, with the 200-free relay title being a repeat championship with three of the four swimmers that competed in that event in 2001. The Miners had All-America performances from all 12 swimmers that participated and had seven new school records established.

The Miners' fifth place performance in 2001 was highlighted by the first national championship in school history by the 200-yard freestyle relay team. That helped the Miners reach a level that was surpassed by only one other Miner team at nationals, the 1998 team that finished third in the nation. Grooms was a part of that team as an assistant coach.

In addition, the Miners also won the Central States Invitiational, the team's seventh such title in a nine-year span. Among the teams the Miners ousted at that meet was Drury, who finished second at the national meet.

Over the last six years, Grooms -- who also headed the Miners to a sixth-place performance in 2000 and a seventh-place finish at the 1999 NCAA Championships -- has coached 82 All-America performers and 19 academic All-America swimmers. The team has been the top-ranked academic team in NCAA Division II by the College Swimming Coaches Association on eight occasions during that time. In addition, the Miners have broken school records on 23 occasions over the past six years.

As the Miners won the 1999 Mideast Regional Championships, their sixth title in a seven-year span, Grooms was selected as the Mideast Regional "Coach of the Year".

Prior to becoming head coach, Grooms served as the assistant coach in the program for the previous six years. The Miners had top 10 finishes in the last two years of that span, including the third place showing in 1998 that ranks as the highest finish ever for a Missouri S&T athletic team at a national event.

The Miners also had a top 10 finish in 1997 when they finished eighth, which was also the team's first top 10 finish at nationals in 11 years.

The Miners had a school record 13 swimmers win All-America honors during Grooms' last season as assistant coach.

Grooms competed as a swimmer at Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State) and received his degree from that university in 1988 after serving as a team captain. He has head coaching experience at the high school level, serving as the mentor at Hastings, Neb., High School before joining the Missouri S&T staff in 1992 as an assistant coach in football and swimming. He relinquished the football duties upon becoming the head swimming coach.

Grooms, a native of St. Joseph, Mo., and wife Dyan have three children, Morgan, Jacob and Emalee.

Dept. of Intercollegiate Athletics
705 West 10th St.
Rolla, Mo. 65401-0340
Phone: (573) 341-4175
Fax: (573) 341-4880
Email: sports@mst.edu