Coaching Staff
HEAD COACH – Brian Reynolds
There is not a more nationally decorated or distinguished coach on the Drury athletic staff than men's and women's swimming and diving coach Brian Reynolds, who is now in his 25th year with the men's program and 20th year with the DU women.That's the unique territory you enter when, as Reynolds as done, you produce a national championship contender in your sport year in and year out, a program that expects to win every time its athletes hit the water.
Or when, like Reynolds, you've done enough in your sport to warrant induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, the ultimate honor to be bestowed upon Reynolds when the local shrine holds its annual induction dinner and ceremony in February, 2007.
His Panther men's squad is seeking its fourth straight NCAA Division II national championship this season, while the DU women look to repeat as champions after riding a string of six consecutive national runner-up finishes and claiming four national titles in a row of their own from 1996-2000 - as Drury has become THE name in D-II swimming across the U.S.
Coach Reynolds has earned several honors, which include being named as the NCAA-II national Coach-of-the-Year in the women’s division in 1996 and 1997 and was the men’s division Coach-of-the-Year in 1996, 1999 and 2003 as well as in 2005 and '06.
His illustrious record also includes eight NAIA national championships on the men's side - including a remarkable run of seven straight titles from 1987-94 - and three NAIA women's championships, those coming in consecutive years from 1986-89.
Preparation, practice, recruiting and discipline have been some of the key components that have been the foundation of the Panthers success, traits Reynolds learned early in his career as a successful swimmer at Drury and as an assistant coach before taking over the program from long-time Panther coach Jack Steck. A native of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Brian was on two national championship teams in 1981 and 1982.
Reynolds also has been involved with the highly successful Springfield Aquatics Swim Club as its director for 25 years. The area's premier junior competitive swimming program, one of the oldest in the Midwest, consists of approximately 140 swimmers from ages 8 through 18, dozens of which have gone on to swim collegiately for the Drury squads and other NCAA programs as well.
SPA has had numerous junior national qualifiers, three junior national champions, a half-dozen senior national qualifiers and this year had its first Olympic Trials qualifier in former Glendale High School star and current Notre Dame 100 Back specialist Caroline Johnson.
"I enjoy coaching the kids as much as I do the collegiate athletes simply because of their desire to learn and their enthusiasm toward the sport of swimming," Reynolds says. "I coach them every day, twice a day during the summer and have thoroughly enjoyed watching these kids develop into young athletes."
Reynolds and wife Amy have also been conducting the Springfield Prep lesson program for ages 4 to 13 for 26 years as well.
"We've had kids go from the lesson program's 'learn to swim' program to national and junior national qualifiers," Reynolds said. "That's been one of our most rewarding experiences."
Reynolds earned his master’s degree from the University of Central Arkansas in 1986 and is an assistant professor in the Drury exercise and sport science department. He and Amy have four children: Brooke, Zach, Allie and Tanner.
ASSISTANT COACH – Bryan Beatty
Most every coach will tell you he or she is only as good as their athletes and their coaching help, which goes a long way toward explaining why assistant coach Bryan Beatty has played an integral part in helping Drury swimming continue its legacy of championship efforts.Beatty, entering his ninth season as Coach Brian Reynolds' right-hand man, has focused specifically on several distance swimmers for the Panthers and once again has several talented individuals this season lined up to make a run at national honors as the Panthers try to secure their fourth straight NCAA-II title on the men's side (and fifth in six years) and repeat as national champions for the DU women's squad.
Beatty has been very active in a variety of swimming programs both on the collegiate and the club side. He served as the head coach of the Lawrence Aquahawks club team of Lawrence, Kansas and the Aqua-Tex Swim Club age group coach in Houston, Texas. He came to Drury after serving as a graduate assistant at Southwest Missouri State University under former Drury head coach Jack Steck, where one of his duties was serving as the coach of the popular AquaBears club.
Beatty earned his master’s degree in business administration from Southwest Missouri State University. He graduated from Sam Houston State University in 1990 and was a four-year letterman and co-captain for SMSU.
Bryan and his wife, Jennifer, have four children: Lauren, Sam, Jack and Ann.
AGE GROUP COACH – Jason Owen
Jason Owen swam for the Gators in Cape Girardeau, Missouri from age 6 until attending Drury in 1999. As a distance swimmer for Drury, Jason was voted the Panther’s hardest worker in 2000 and 2001 and was the team captain in 2002 and 2003. After graduating with a degree in Exercise Physiology, Jason remained at Drury as a Graduate Assistant Coach and pursued his Master’s degree in Business Administration. During this time he also managed and coached Southern Hills Swim Club in Springfield and began coaching Springfield Aquatics. With Jason as their coach, the Southern Hills Dolphins won five consecutive Greene County Championships from 2003-2007. In 2005, Jason graduated with his MBA and took the Head Age Group position with Spa and continues to do so. He is married to Kathleen.
ASSISTANT AGE GROUP COACH –Justin Brosseau
Justin Brosseau is now in his third season with Springfield Aquatics. He began his own swimming career at age 11, and competed with Springfield Aquatics his junior and senior years of high school. He went on to swim at Truman State University for three years, lettering all three. While at Truman, he was head coach and administrator of the ASA Aquadogs, a USA Swimming club located in Kirksville, MO. He moved back to Springfield and began coaching with SPA in August of 2005, and recently completed his ASCA Level 2 certification. Justin graduated from Missouri State with a Bachelors of English in 2007.