The only coach in program history, Ed Denny enters his 17th season as head coach at Cal U.
Denny has mentored over a dozen swimmers that have garnered NCAA All-America honors nearly 40 combined times in 13 different events. Additionally, Cal U swimmers have received NCAA All-America Honorable Mention status almost 50 times since the program started competition in the 2002-03 season.
Denny was instrumental in the development of three-time NCAA National Champion Melissa Gates, who was a standout at Cal U from 2009-12. She earned NCAA All-America laurels 10 times during her career while winning the national title in the 50 freestyle in both 2011 and 2012, plus the 100 freestyle as a senior. Gates set three PSAC records and nine school records while being selected the 2012 PSAC Swimmer of the Year. Following her prolific collegiate career, Gates competed at both the 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 50 and 100 freestyle.
Gates is one of eight swimmers who have captured individual league titles under Denny. Jade Arganbright claimed crowns in the 100 and 200 breaststroke at the 2017 PSAC Championships to finish her career with seven individual league titles, the most in school history. Clarissa Enslin won the 200 freestyle at the conference meet in three-straight years from 2011-13 and also captured a combined seven league titles (two relays). Gates set the PSAC Championship record in both the 50 and 100 freestyle in 2012, while also winning the 100 breaststroke and serving as the leadoff leg on the initial two championship relays in program history.
Denny helped guide the Vulcans to a top-five finish in the team standings at the PSAC Championships in four-straight years from 2009-12. He was selected the PSAC Coach of the Year in 2009 after Cal U placed third at the league meet with the most points in program history just a year after finishing eighth at the event. The Vulcans also finished third at the PSAC Championships in both 2011 and 2012 while winning a combined eight league titles in those seasons.
In addition to success in the pool, the program has received CSCAA Scholar All-America status in all 16 seasons of its existence and Denny has mentored a pair of CoSIDA Academic All-Americans. Enslin received Academic All-America laurels twice, while Kelsey Nuhfer became the first student-athlete in school history to earn the honor three times. Enslin and Nuhfer both were also recipients of the NCAA postgraduate scholarship in 2014. Additionally, the Vulcans featured at least one CSCAA Scholar All-American seven times from 2008-15. Cal U was presented the PSAC Top Team GPA Award in both 2012 and 2013, the initial two years of the laurel.
Cal U featured at least one swimmer at the NCAA National Championships in 10-straight years from 2008-17. The Vulcans qualified a program-record nine swimmers for the national meet in 2009 and placed No. 14 in the team standings behind three individual All-Americans and the first All-American relay in school history. Cal U posted its highest showing at the NCAA National Championships in 2012 by finishing No. 12 in the team standings behind a pair of national titles by Gates and two All-American relays.
Originally from Derry, Pennsylvania, Denny began his swimming career at Kiski Prep School before enrolling at West Virginia. He completed his bachelor’s degree in secondary education from WVU in 1982 before earning his master’s degree in education from Long Island in 1991.
With the Mountaineers, Denny was a qualifier for the NCAA Championships in the 1650 freestyle in both 1980 and 1981. A co-captain in 1981, he held the WVU natatorium record in the 1000 freestyle (9:22.01 - 1979) for over 35 years until it was broken in 2015 and still holds the natatorium record in the 1650 freestyle (15:34.07 - 1980). He also held the Penn State natatorium record in the 1650-yard freestyle (15:23.40) for 19 years and held the Atlantic-10 Conference record in the 1650-yard freestyle (15:34.07 – 1980) until the 2013 A-10 Conference championships.
During his time at WVU, Denny placed third in the 1500-meter freestyle at the 1978 National Junior Olympics in Santa Clara, California, before finishing 13th overall in the 1500-meter freestyle at the 1980 U.S. Olympic Trials in Irvine, California.
Denny started his coaching career in 1983 as graduate assistant with the Mountaineers under longtime head coach Kevin Gilson, who was a 2015 WVU Sports Hall of Fame inductee. He joined the coaching staff at the U.S. Naval Academy a year later. After four seasons at Navy, he returned to Kiski Prep School as head coach in 1988 before returning to the collegiate ranks a year later as an assistant coach at the U.S. Military Academy.
Following three seasons at the Military Academy, Denny became head coach of the men’s and women’s swimming programs at Fairmont State. He guided the Fighting Falcons from their transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II in 1995. Under his leadership, Fairmont State had 19 swimmers earn NAIA All-America honors in 59 events from 1993-95, including the men’s 200 butterfly National Champion in 1995.
After the transition to NCAA Division II, Denny guided nine swimmers to individual All-America recognition in 29 events from 1995-2001 and an 11th-place finish at the NCAA Championships by women’s team in 1999. The Fairmont State teams were recognized for their individual and team academic achievements by the CSCAA for five-straight years.
Denny resides in California.
