Adam Cohen has been coaching DePauw men's swimming and diving for 26 years. Going into this season, the Cleveland native trained swimmers who scored at the NCAA Division III Championships in 19 of 25 seasons. After another successful season in 2013, Cohen earned North Coast Athletic Conference's Coach of the Year. Earlier this week, news broke that Cohen was selected as a finalist for the 2014 Inspire Award, an award dedicated to outstanding mentors in the workplace and community. Cohen stresses that his coaching legacy is only a reflection of the young men he has had the privilege to coach. As his current team prepares for the upcoming NCAC Championships in Denison, Ohio, we were able to sit down with coach Adam Cohen, this week's Tiger of the Week. Here's what he had to say:
TDP Sports (TDP): Earlier this week, you were selected as a finalist for the 2014 Inspire Award. What do you have to say about the selection?
Adam Cohen (AC): I was really surprised and honored. I can't say anything about what the award says about my character; I think that's for other people to look at. Mentor for Kids is a great program, and I think the University realizes that giving its employees time to volunteer brings back a lot. It speaks volumes about the character of this University.
TDP: Kyle Kerrigan, a former captain in 2010, nominated you for the Inspire Award. What was your relationship like with Kerrigan? Who does he remind you of on this year's roster?
AC: I think myself and all the coaches, and I mean all, want to see kids achieve. You can try to help, but the other person has to be just as willing. That was Kyle - a mentor, vice president of his fraternity, interned at Borough Hall. As a coach, you love to see people like that. He reminds me of this years seniors. They all have a little bit of Kyle in them. I see young men that want to do a lot of good things in so many different ways, just as Kyle did.
TDP: You've coached a phenomenal DePauw men's swimming team that has embodied DePauw Athletics success. What else do you do on campus?
AC: It's a liberal arts school. We do different things. I work in spiritual life with a number of faith groups. I also teach an academic course in the kinesiology department. We do a lot of research on alcohol and sports performance. What does it mean when you drink three days later? I'm also president of city council and coach youth baseball here in town.
TDP: How has the team been preparing for the upcoming NCAC championships?
AC: This team is as prepared and as focused as any team I've had in the past. It's a seasoned, older team that has had a lot of experience, good experience. I'm excited about where the breast stroke event will take us.