Coach Dave Berry to direct Bob Jones swim program

MADISON – The summer break has brought major changes to the Bob Jones swim and dive program. After two years as head coach, Ryan Rhoades exited and moved to Colorado leaving an opening the Class 7A school had to fill with summer workouts quickly approaching. The powersto- be didn’t have to look far.

Longtime swim coach for the Madison Swim Association (MSA) and active competitor in U.S. Masters Swimming, Dave Berry was selected to head up the successful swim program for the Patriots.

“Board members who swim alongside me on the Masters Swim Team approached me and asked if I was interested in the position vacated by Ryan,” said Berry. “I agreed to do so. I’ve been through all of the required school system training and background checks and I’m ready for the challenge.”

As a 30-year resident of Madison, the 65-year old Berry already has a long and storied history with the school and the swim team. He and his wife, Eileen, have had four children attend Bob Jones and compete for the swim team. Matter of fact, it was through his children he was able to at one time be a volunteer coach for the Patriots.

“I one day dropped off my daughter to swim and I noticed other dads were there helping out as what they call lane leading during practices,” said Berry. “Mike Gunner was the head coach at the time and I soon joined in as a volunteer coach until 2013.”

Berry also recalled his working with one youngster many years ago. “One of the younger kids I coached for MSA at age seven or eight was Zach Harting who went onto to the Olympics,” said Berry of Harting, who was a member of the U.S. Olympic Swim Team in 2020 and just missed making the Olympic squad in 2024 by a mere one-half second in the 100 meter butterfly.

A dedicated and successful swimmer since his youth, Berry competed in summer leagues and in high school while growing up in Hawaii. He specialized in short-course swimming in all strokes mostly in sprint races. Once becoming an adult he gave up the sport to concentrate on his career which he retired from as part of the U.S. Government’s Homeland Security. He jumped back into swimming in the masters division at age 40 and has utilized all of his experiences to become a dedicated coach teaching stroke perfection and guiding athletes to master their technique with precision and consistency.

He is clear on his coaching style and goals as he said he fosters swimmers’ growth in the four key areas of competence, character, connection and confidence. He understands the recent success of the Bob Jones team as the girls are two-time defending State Champions and the boys have finished among the top four programs in Alabama the last two years under Rhoades. Berry jumps into the some of the unknown waters of coaching, but with more than 40 swimmers to choose from after tryouts, he will enjoy having so many to help welcome him to his new position.

“We have a lot of quality swimmers in Madison as most of them have developed through the local recreational swim teams and have the strong desire and goal of wanting to be on the Bob Jones team,” said Berry. “All of North Alabama has quality swimmers and we get our share at Bob Jones. My only concern is the fact we have a large team and a small facility to swim, which we share with James Clemens and the recreational leagues of Madison. I’ve always wanted a larger facility to be built and I’m still interested in helping to get the facility to become a reality.”

One fun fact for Berry is his 30-year old daughter, Teresa Berry, will be a volunteer coach alongside her father. She has been working in Spain teaching English, but is on school break and will be on the sidelines assisting her former team.

The 2025 season swim schedule will dive into the competition on Aug. 23 with the season-ending State Meet set for Nov. 21-22. If all goes to plan, Berry will have both squads at the starting blocks at the State Meet staring down another state title.