Bob Jones coach named state “Coach of the Year”
MADISON – The Bob Jones swim and dive program will have a new head coach in 2025. Dave Berry has taken over the reins of the program after Ryan Rhoades left the program and moved to Colorado Springs, Colo. in June. His wife, Nancy, had taken a new job in the Centennial State. Now, two months after his move with his family, which includes a five-year old son, Levi, Rhoades has received the National Federation of High School Coaches award for Alabama Coach of the Year in girls swimming and diving.
“This is a huge honor,” said Rhoades, via telephone from his new home among the Rocky Mountains. “The award is greatly appreciated, but for me the real award is I cherish the experiences I had working with the kids and investing in those youngsters in their growth as athletes and students.”
Rhoades was the head coach of the Patriots’ swim program for two seasons and certainly left his mark in the history books of Bob Jones. His girls squad won the Class 6-7A State Championships in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons while the boys team was fourth in 2023 and third in 2024. For his efforts, Rhoades was selected for his honor and was recognized during the AHSAA Summer Conference in conjunction with the AHSAA All-Star Week competition. In all, 121 State Championship coaches were recognized at the conference annual awards dinner held at the Montgomery Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center.
“For me, this is more of a collective award as I received enormous help from the swimmers, school administration, assistant coaches and parents who all had a hand in this award and to make it happen,” said Rhoades, 40, who worked fulltime the last four years as youth director at Rocket City Church.
Rhoades graduated from Bob Jones in 2003 after a stellar high school swim experience winning several state championships individually and being named the Speedo National Swimmer of the Year before he headed to the University of Tennessee to swim the backstroke and sprint freestyle races for the Volunteers in the Southeastern Conference. He spent two and a half years with the program before he chose to drop out of the program as well as the school. Soon afterwards, the dedicated swimmer experienced a downfall in life in what he called, “a dark road as at one time I was homeless.” Rhoades turned around his life and soon became a high school coach and church employee.
“This award means a lot to me and is a testament of the impact we had on young people’s lives,” added Rhoades.
