Schubert and O’Brien Leave Nadadores

The Mission Viejo Nadadores, the most successful swimming and diving program in the nation’s history, lost both of its head coaches Monday.

Swimming Coach Mark Schubert and diving Coach Ron O’Brien have accepted similar positions at the Mission Bay Training Center in Boca Raton, Fla.

Schubert, who was the Nadadores’ swimming coach since the team’s inception in 1972, and O’Brien, the diving coach for the past seven years, were introduced at a Florida press conference Monday as head coaches of the new Mission Bay Maykos program by James Brady, president of Mission Bay Development Co.

Schubert served on the 1980 and 1984 Olympic coaching staffs and was named national team coach four times. He was voted Coach of the Year by the American Swimming Coaches Assn. three times and his swimmers have won 19 Olympic medals. The Nadadores became the winningest club ever this year when they won their 44th national team title. Schubert’s top Nadadores assistant, Larry Liebowitz, preceded him to Boca Raton.

O’Brien is a five-time Olympic coach and six-time U.S. Diving Coach of the Year whose divers have won six Olympic medals and 77 individual national titles. The Mission Viejo diving team is undefeated since 1979 and has won 35 national team titles.

“The credentials of Mark and Ron establish Mission Bay as a facility second to none, and as the new home for Olympic contenders,” Brady said at the press conference.

The question being asked now is: How many of the world-class athletes who made Mission Viejo the Mecca of the aquatic world will follow Schubert and O’Brien to Florida?

Tiffany Cohen, who has trained with Schubert for five years since she was 13, won Olympic gold medals in both the 400- and 800-meter freestyles last summer.

“It’s sad to see him leave, but I understand it was a great offer,” said Cohen, who lives with her mother in Mission Viejo and attends the University of Texas. “He set the record for most national championships here and I guess it was time for him to get a new challenge.

“Knowing Mark, he’ll probably set a new one down there.”

Olympic silver medalist Amy White had not heard Schubert was leaving until contacted Monday at relative’s house in Massachusetts.

“I’m in shock,” said White, a senior at Irvine’s University High School. “I can’t believe it. Two days before nationals (last month), Mark told us we shouldn’t worry about the rumors until we saw a for sale sign in front of his house.

“I think it’ll be possible for us to remain a top team, but I’m sure a lot of people won’t be swimming for us now.”

Many of Schubert’s best swimmers--including Olympic gold medalist Mike O’Brien, college competitors Tami Bruce, Channon Hermstad, Vic Riggs and Dan Burger and rising stars Kim Brown and Dan Jorgensen--are in Japan competing in either the Pan Pacific Games and/or the World University Games.

Schubert says he knows of only one swimmer, Susan Johnson, the national 200-meter breaststroke champion, who already has decided to move to Florida, but a number of the Nadadores live in Mission Viejo with host families (Johnson is one) and it would seem logical that they would follow the man they left home for in the first place.

“Sure, some kids will come,” Schubert said in a telephone interview Monday. “You build up a rapport over the years, and I guess it’s pretty natural they’d want to follow. A lot have shown an interest. My feeling is that the majority of the host kids will come and most of the locals will stay.”

Schubert said he isn’t expecting an exodus and believes Mission Viejo will remain a powerful team.

“I think the program will continue to be one of the best in the country,” he said. “There’s too much parental enthusiasm and community and corporate support to have the program whither away just because the coach leaves.”

That remains to be seen, but it appears that the Nadadore diving program will be virtually decimated. O’Brien says he isn’t sure just which of his divers will be leaving Mission Viejo, but a source indicated that double gold medalist Greg Louganis, silver medalist Michele Mitchell, bronze medalist Wendy Wyland and national age-group champion Wendy Williams will join O’Brien in Florida.