Not everyone is lucky enough to come back and coach at his or her alma mater. For Swimming and Diving Head Coach Brooks Teal, the opportunity to coach for 11 years at N.C. State is a source of pride, and now something he has decided to leave behind.
“For personal reasons, I have decided to move on and leave my position as head coach of the men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs here at N.C. State,” Teal said. “I appreciate the opportunity and have had the great pleasure to work with many outstanding young men and women.”
After graduating N.C. State in 1975, Teal coached at many levels from head coach of Rocky Mount Swim Team to assistant coach at Indian River Community College. He went on to coach at James Madison for seven years, where he led the team to win the Colonial Athletic Association Championship six times.
Teal returned to the Wolfpack in the fall of 2000, and since then he has had a tremendous positive impact on both the men and women’s swim teams.
Junior Marifrances Henley, who held a school top-10 mark with Teal’s help, says she will miss having him as her coach.
“I’ve known him for two years, and I’m going to miss talking to him all the time,” Henley said. “I’m so glad he gave me an opportunity to come swim at State.”
Teal’s resignation was not something the swim team saw coming. For junior Brandon Kingston, the news was a total shock.
“Coach Teal was excited and driven to make the team better, and he was a really good guy who knew a lot about the sport,” Kingston said. “Most of us on the team were surprised to hear he’s leaving.”
Associate Head Coach Christopher “Woody” Woodard is currently managing the team while a national search for a new head coach, led by Chris Kingston, senior associate director of athletics, takes place.
Teal’s departure will leave many shared memories and lessons learned. Henley says she will remember his commitment and dedication to the program that he showed through his coaching. Henley said she would also cherish the memories she shared with Teal, such as a dinner with the team after an ACC Tournament.
“He had been screaming all weekend for the girls and ended up losing his voice,” Henley said. “He usually stands up during dinner and says something about the weekend and how proud he is and such. Instead, he ended up playing charades with us, and it was really funny.”