Swimming coach of the year: Mike Sansavera

Joe Alexander, Express-News -

Published 9:59 pm, Friday, April 16, 2010

School: Reagan

Age: 50

Head coaching experience: Second season at Reagan (25th year coaching, career)

Why he’s the one

Highlights: Led a senior-less girls squad past Churchill — the eventual runner-up at the Class 5A state meet — to District 26-5A and Region VII-5A titles. Also took the girls to victories in the TISCA and Duel in the Pool meets. ... Guided the boys to second place at regionals and third at district, to go along with a victory at the TISCA meet. ... Oversaw the girls’ eighth-place finish at state and a ninth-place showing for the boys.

Quotable: “We went to Houston and beat The Woodlands team that won state the year before. When they beat them, they said, ‘Wow, we’re pretty good.’ Granted, The Woodlands lost some seniors, but that was a big, big emotional boost.” — Sansavera, on the young Reagan girls’ source of confidence

Also considered for the E-N honor: Alamo Heights’ Mel Allick and Churchill’s Mark Jedow