Brandon Gregg

Led by diving coach Brandon Gregg, Warren finished first as a team at the 2023 District 10 2A Diving Championships. This winter, two freshmen finished in the top 10 of the D10 individual diving championships with Gracie Page earning Warren’s third medal in two seasons.

Gregg is ready to step it up a notch by being named the next Warren Area High School head swimming and diving coach.

“I am very excited to take on this expanded role with the high school team,” said Gregg. “In the last few years, I brought a cultural change to the diving program that I hope to transition over to the whole team. I always say that a leader is a direct reflection of those they lead. The athletes on the Dragons team are no different. This is a great group of young adults in and out of the pool. I celebrate the individual triumphs along with every member of the team because nothing makes me prouder as a coach than seeing the success of others.”

Gregg, 37, is a 2005 WAHS graduate who was himself a swimmer and diver for the Dragons.

“I have been associated with swimming off and on since the late ’90s,” he said. “I started off swimming for the Warren YMCA Dolphins team in the late ’90s and progressed on to the WAHS high school team in the early 2000s.

“After retiring from the Army, my wife Elizabeth and I relocated to Warren and got our three children into swimming,” said Gregg. “I’m a YMCA Level 2 official and assist with the Dolphins team in that capacity. I am a registered volunteer for the Warren County Special Olympics and assist with their swimming program. I also teach the Intro to Competitive Diving classes for the YMCA along with being a lifeguard.”

It’s clear Gregg’s passion for the sport will be on display as head coach.

“Swimming and diving are two sports that have always fascinated me because of the complexities of the basics,” he said.

“No matter if it is your first time in the pool or whether you are Phelps or Ledecky competing in your next Olympics, swimming provides constant personal growth. When I was a young soldier, a mentor of mine always said to wake up every day and do something uncomfortable and hard. This translates perfectly into swimming and diving.

“I knew that I would be a part of this team for the foreseeable future, but when the position of head coach became vacant, I knew that I needed to put my hat into the ring,” said Gregg, who is replacing Russ Beyer. “My next goal is to surround myself with an assistant coach and volunteers who are just as passionate about the program as I am.

“The swim-dive team is a smaller unit and has always been a tight-knit group, so I have been interacting with the entire team for the past two years,” he said. “We lost two seniors this past year and have a large group of juniors that are moving up. We are trying to build both teams — men and women — back stronger than ever and are pushing for more participation at the (YMCA) Dolphins level as well to have a steady stream of swimmers in the future.

“Recruitment is always a key role in coaching,” added Gregg. “Our numbers have been going down in the past few years like everyone else, but I believe pushing the winter conditioning for other sports is going to be key. Time and time again I hear the same thing, ‘I’m just trying to keep in shape for X sport.’ Lo and behold, we find those athletes transition into swimming for the exercise and find success in the sport. Recruitment with diving is a bit different as the Warren area doesn’t have a feeder team. I have been doing a bit of lessons for younger divers with positive feedback, but getting the word out to our cheerleaders, dancers, gymnasts, trampoline enthusiasts, and anyone else with a solid aerial sports background is key.

“With the change in classification for the team and the district, the Warren Dragons will thrive,” he added. “The team has been a multi-school sport for as long as I can remember and that will not change. The hope is that we can recruit athletes from the other schools in Warren County (Youngsville, Sheffield, and Eisenhower) to come and join.”