Legendary Pittsford swim coach, Marty Keating to retire at season’s end

PITTSFORD, NY – For 52 years, Marty Keating has been a coaching icon for the Pittsburgh swimming team, and this Thursday was his final home meet of his career.

Marty Keating retires

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“I feel good. I’m glad it’s over,” Keating said. “One more dual meet me and then we have sectionals and then the state meet and in that first week of March, I’m through.”

Coach Keating and Pittsford have dominated Section V for years, and plenty of his former swimmers were in attendance on Thursday to thank him for a job well done, even if Keating wasn’t there for all the awards and praise.

“He didn’t pay attention to the wins and losses,” said John Topping, Class of 1975. “It was more of an individual thing. And I said he would get mad at you if he saw something in you that you didn’t.”

“What he proved to me, what he showed me, was that I was capable of anything,” said Kristine Engkvist, Class of 1986. “And that if I just put in the work and I was determined and stuck with it, I could get through anything.”

But even after his athletes graduate Pittsford and moved on in life, Keating stayed present. Proving his actions as a person didn’t just stop as a coach.

“Even as he yelled at you and threw things in the pool and punished you and all that,” said Tom Schovee, Class of 1975. “There was this deep feeling that he really cared about you, you know. As a swimmer for sure, but even deeper than that.”

“I actually called him during my college years because it was really, really tough,” Engkvist said. “And I turned to him and I said, hey, remind me, remind me of that time. And he did he talk me through it. And, he came to my wedding years later.”

Keating shared a story of one swimmer who absolutely hated him.

“He said, you know, Coach, I hated you for the four years that I swam with you. I hated you every day. I literally did. And if I had a voodoo doll, I would have been sticking it,” Keating joked.

But the tough love was recognized as real love later down the line. His coaching won countless meets and years later, countless reasons to be grateful. He’s planning a cruise with his wife to celebrate a career well done, but for a man with many life lessons to share, he doesn’t need to get his point across any more.

“All I can say is,” Keating said. “That’s all folks.”