Thirty-one straight national championships in men's swimming, NCAA Division III. Kenyon's extraordinary streak still stands as the greatest run in all of collegiate sports. It ended this March, in high drama, when perennial rival Denison University took the title, beating Kenyon by a single point. Denison's victory is a tribute to its outstanding coach, Gregg Parini. But it's also a tribute to Steen, because Parini is ... yes, a Kenyon Lord, Class of 1982, one of Jim Steen's champions.

And he's not the only former Kenyon swimmer who followed Coach into coaching. A striking number of Lords and Ladies have coached, either as professionals or volunteers—and at every level, from club and YMCA, to high school, to college, to Division I university. Carrying with them such cherished Steenisms as "Get comfortable with the uncomfortable," they push, mentor, and inspire young athletes, much as Steen inspired them.

Here, then, is a celebration of the coaches that Steen begat. In addition to listing alumni swim coaches, we offer profiles of three who deserve special mention. One is Parini, whose Denison women have also won the national crown. Then there's Jon Howell '90 at Emory University; his women's team won their fourth national title this year. Jessen Book '01, meanwhile, returned to Kenyon last fall to become head coach for the Ladies, as Steen stepped back to focus exclusively on the men's team.