The encouragement and instruction new Ohio assistant coach Derick Roe has offered the Bobcats in their first dual meet of the season was uncharacteristic, at least historically, as the Bobcats were pitted against Eastern Michigan, his alma mater.
“I wanted to take down Eastern Michigan. My heart is here now,” Roe said.
All indications, judging by his quick change of heart, lead to the assumption that he has lived in Athens for several months, but that’s far from the case. Roe is in only his third week at Ohio’s Aquatic Center, and moved to his apartment in Athens just days before the Bobcats’ first meet.
“This is the first time I am living by myself,” he said. “I didn’t have that much stuff to wrap up.”
After former assistant coach Anthony Harris left the program due to personal reasons, Ohio coach Greg Werner waited a while before signing a new right-hand man. He needed someone who would coach the sprinters, take over administrative tasks and be responsible for recruiting — Roe seemed to be a perfect fit.
He competed for Eastern Michigan for four years as a sprinter and remains the Eagles’ all-time record holder in the 50-yard freestyle. Moreover, he competed at the Olympic Trials in 2008 and 2012, placing 17th and 50th respectively while swimming against the nation’s best.
Though Roe still hits the pool frequently, his career peak is in the past. While training for the 2008 Olympic Trials at the Michigan Wolverine club in Ann Arbor, Mich., he practiced with Michael Phelps, an 18-time Olympic gold medalist.
In other words, Roe has a lot of experience to pass on to the team.
“Experience doesn’t make you automatically a good coach, but it doesn’t hurt,” Werner said.
Ohio isn’t Roe’s first stop since graduation, though.
As soon as he finished his tenure with Eastern Michigan, where he double majored in history and electronic media and film studies, Roe was offered an assistant coaching position at Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y.
“(My degrees) were just fallback careers,” he said. “Ever since I have been 13, I wanted to be a swim coach. I didn’t expect to get a college job right away though.”
Werner called him on short notice, but he didn’t hesitate to accept the offer, as he didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to make a major step in his coaching career.
“Going from a small Division I school with 2,800 students to a school with more than 20,000 students is a big step,” Roe said.
As the third week on the job is wrapping up, Roe has already affected the team by introducing his coaching style, which differentiates a lot from the one Harris carried out last season.
“If I do something wrong he tells me right away,” said Katey Brooks, a senior. “He is more active than Anthony (Harris).”
It is clear to everybody around the pool that Roe wants to change the program.
“I want to bring in higher prospects who are able to make the NCAA Tournament their freshman year,” he said. “It has to be our goal to not only qualify relays but individual performers for the national tournament.”
While Roe has high standards, he doesn’t vacate the fun part of practice, either. Brooks described him as a very funny, talkative person on and off the pool deck.
Werner is ecstatic about his assistant coach selection.
“He is very pleasant, positive, experienced, willing and just fun to be around,” Werner said. “I am very, very happy to have him.”
am794811@ohiou.edu
