On the occasion of his first Faculty Normal gathering in 1992, McCallie swim coach Stan Corcoran was struck by all the teachers, coaches and staffers who had worked for the school at least 20 years.
That night he told his wife Kelly of this phenomenon and said, “There’s no way I’m still coaching there in 20 years.”
He was right. Sort of. When Corcoran gathered his team together Wednesday afternoon to tell them he was retiring as head coach and handing the position over to longtime assistant Zane Hamilton '02, it marked the end of a 33-year run of excellence on the Ridge that saw Corcoran’s teams win 12 state titles, including the last three in a row.
“There are a couple of reasons why I think this is a good time to make this move,” said Corcoran. “No. 1, I think I’m leaving the program in a really great position. We’ve had 46 All-American swims over the last four years. We own five of the 12 state records in the events we swim. Nationally, we’ve become one of the top five or six programs in the country. And No. 2, I think Zane will do a great job. He’s been with me the last five years and he understands this program and this school and what makes it special.”
There’s also another reason, which we all face at some point.
“I’m 63,” Corcoran said. “This is a hard job. I’ve had one day off since the first of January and that was a snow day. I’ve had two knee replacements. Kelly and I would like to get out and travel some while we still can. I’ll still be around. I’m going to assist Zane wherever I can. I just might skip a few Saturday morning workouts here and there.”
For Hamilton, who still holds a middle school record in the 100-meter breast stroke, “This is my dream job. It’s perfect timing for my family and me. Fifteen or 20 years ago, I don’t know that I could have seen myself doing this.”
But after swimming four years at Johns Hopkins University following graduation from McCallie, after 18 years in the investment banking industry, COVID led him and wife Catherine to Chattanooga, where they’re raising their four daughters and one son ages 15 to four.
“I would describe this as a calling rather than a job,” said Hamilton. “You’re with these kids 15-20 hours a week for nine straight months every year. I love these kids, the daily interaction with these boys. Helping them to reach their potential and make good choices. My job as a coach is to remember that they’re all different, one size doesn’t fit all, and embrace who they are.”
Athletic director Kenny Sholl praises the abilities of both men.
“In a sport that requires so much hard work, sometimes multiple practices in a single day, Stan always had the ability to connect with the kids, to bring out the best in them, which is reflected in the robust results over the years. It has been a perfect McCallie mission-fit relationship for 33 years, and we’re glad to know Stan will stay around the program when possible.
As for Hamilton, Sholl said, “We are so excited and blessed that Zane is willing to step in as head coach. He’s exceptionally bright, and his talents and love for the boys should provide us with some wonderful swim teams for years to come.”
For Corcoran, stepping aside, even if that means just skipping a few Saturday morning workouts, may mean embracing who he is away from the pool.
“My mother and father are both dead, my mom died in January,” he said. “She’s buried in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I’ve got to get up there, get her headstone ordered, some things like that. And I used to love to work in the yard. So I’m looking forward to getting out there for a few hours a week, just piddling in the yard. I might also take a cooking class or two. My wife’s a crazy good cook. I think it would be fun to do that.”
Beyond the fact that he was named Coach of the Year after last month’s third straight state title, Corcoran also leaves having beaten 18-time All-American Marvin Johnson, the speedy senior who’s headed off to the University of Florida.
“Yeah, that was a big deal,” said Corcoran with a chuckle, recalling his narrow freestyle win a couple of weeks ago over Johnson, the coach swimming 50 yards to Johnson’s 100. “I set a personal best by almost four seconds to barely beat him, but I won.”
Winning state titles actually started Corcoran’s first season, though in a different sport. His water polo team won a state championship in Georgia in both his first (1992) and second seasons (1993). The first of the 12 state swimming championships began in 1998 and saw Corcoran win seven in a row between ‘98 and 2004.
“If we’ve done anything, I think we’ve made a lot of kids better,” said Corcoran. “And now, if someone’s not happy with the program, I can just point them to Zane.”
Said Hamilton, who’s still an elite competitor in the 100-breastroke, owning some of the fastest times nationally in his 40-45 age group: “Filling Stan’s shoes, I don’t know if that’s possible. But I’m going to work as hard as I can to keep this program at the level he’s always had it.”