This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Tooele • When Mel Roberts was a boy, he'd accompany his father to the high school swim meets. He listened proudly as his dad announced the results to the fans and watched in admiration as all the prep swimmers competed, knowing one day he'd be the one in the pool.
He started swimming competitively at age 12, eventually accomplishing his dream of swimming for Tooele High before competing for the University of Utah. He studied finance at Utah, with ambitions of pursuing a career in accounting. He nearly became a certified public accountant until he saw the steady decline of his high school alma mater.
"I switched my major and went into education so I could come back and coach," Roberts said.
That was in 1969.
Roberts has been the coach of the Buffaloes ever since.
But after 48 years of dedication to the sport and school he loves, Roberts will be retiring after the conclusion of the Class 3A state tournament Saturday.
"It's almost like a lifetime of swimming," Roberts said. "It hasn't set in yet. We've got state coming up, and as soon [as that] is over with, and I realize there is a void in my life, it's going to set in."
Roberts will go down as one of the most successful coaches in any sport in state history. He can add to his resume at state, but he has guided Tooele to 549 career victories — more than 200 more wins than anyone else in the sport — 38 region championships and 11 state titles. He has been named the Utah swimming Coach of the Year 12 times, as well as the girls' National Coach of the Year in 2005 and the boys' National Coach of the Year in 2010. He was inducted into the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (NISCA) Hall of Fame in 2009 and received the NISCA trophy in 2016.
"He's like a grandpa to me," senior Madison Royle said. "He makes everyone feel special, and he doesn't care if you've messed up in your life. He's wanting to spend time with you to get you to do better."
Roberts has navigated many peaks and valleys throughout his 48-year career. The Buffaloes were without a pool and forced to swim outdoors on three separate occasions.
"We had to convince the kids we were going to be OK," Roberts recalled.
The pool was remodeled in 1976, so they swam at Stansbury Park. Then asbestos was discovered in the building in 1994, and eventually the building was condemned in 2000, resulting in three straight seasons outdoors.
"I can remember how cold and miserable it was, but those kids were so tough," Roberts said.
Another obstacle was swimming before goggles were widely available.
"The kids were exposed to chlorine in their eyes," Roberts said. "Trying to get through two practices a day was really tough because their eyes were constantly burning. When goggles came, then you were able to start working them out a lot longer and a lot harder."
However, what Roberts remembers most fondly is not the results in the pool, but rather the success out of the water.
"The kids still come back after they've been out for years and tell me thanks. That's special," Roberts said. "It's pretty tough being a kid in high school nowadays. They're faced with so many choices, so if I can provide a place where they can come and be safe, then that's what I tried to instill within the team."
Stuart and Staci Smith both swam for Roberts, as did their three children, Stefani, Skyler and Quinten. Stuart said Roberts "bonded our family."
"Swimming is just part of what we do as a family," Stuart said.
What Stuart remembers most about his time at Tooele, however, was that it was "more than swimming. It was a culture of honor and respect."
"We were all captains on the team, and Mel taught us how to lead and direct," Stuart said. "He set a foundation for being able to continue throughout life being successful and being leaders in the community."
Twitter: @trevorphibbs —
State swimming meet
at BYU swimming pool
Thursday
11 a.m. • Class 2A events 1 through 4
2 p.m. • Class 2A events 6 through 12
7 p.m. • Class 5A events 1 through 4
Friday
10 a.m. • Class 4A events 1 through 4
2 p.m. • Class 3A events 1 through 4
6 p.m. • Class 5A events 6 through 12
Saturday
10 a.m. • Class 3A events 6 through 12
3 p.m. • Class 4A events 6 through 12