KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown University swimming coach Tim Flannery thought somebody was playing an April Fool's prank when he received the phone call. However, as it turned it out, being named the 2009-10 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Women's Swimming Coach of the Year was no joke.
 
Flannery earns his first-ever PSAC Women's Coach of the Year award and his second PSAC Coach of the Year honor overall, as he was also the 2004 Men's Coach of the Year. He earned the highest honor from his coaching peers by leading the Golden Bears to a memorable season.
 
In 2009-10, Flannery's women's team was 15-1 in dual meets, setting a program record for wins in a season for the second consecutive year.  The Golden Bears placed fourth at the PSAC Championships, advanced six swimmers to the national Championships, earned three All-America honors, five All-America honorable mention honors and placed 16th at the NCAA Division II championship meet. The PSAC finish was the highest in Kutztown history.
 
"That's pretty awesome," Flannery said. "This is a special honor to receive this award because there are so many good coaches in our league. Being named Coach of the Year is pretty special."
 
Flannery has compiled a 100-75 dual-meet record with his women's swimmers during his distinguished 14-year career. Over his first 13 seasons at Kutztown, Flannery's swimmers have set school records 155 times, earned 27 All-America honors, 24 All-America honorable mentions, two individual NCAA Championships and 13 PSAC individual and relay titles.
 
The women's swimming team has been honored by the College Swimming Coaches Association as an All-Academic Team from 1999-2009. Also, 41 swimmers have been named PSAC Scholar-Athletes under Flannery.
 
Flannery also coached one of the best swimmers in Kutztown school history in Steph Jeppesen (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty), who won three individual titles at the PSAC meet - the 100 and 200 breaststroke and the 200 IM. Jeppesen also earned All-American honors by finishing second in the 200 breaststroke, third in the 100 breast and fourth in the 200 IM at the NCAA meet.
 
"This is a tribute to all of the hard work the young ladies did during the season," Flannery said. "They did all of the work. I knew at the start of the season, we would have a good team, but I wasn't expecting what we did during the year. The ladies did everything that we asked of them."