NHHS swimmers excited about new coach Peirsol

Thursday’s Newport Harbor High boys’ swim practice appeared to be a simple and standard early-season workout.

But there’s hardly anything simple or normal about a five-time Olympic gold medalist pacing the pool deck and directing distances needed.

Aaron Peirsol, make that Coach Aaron Peirsol, completed his first week of practices with his team at his alma mater. There’s definitely excitement for the NHHS boys’ swim team.

“It’s interesting being on this side as coach,” Peirsol said. “It’s different.”

Peirsol, who led Newport Harbor to its only CIF Southern Section title in 2002, would rather want the excitement be just about his swimmers.

He put them to work this week with land and water workouts.

“I think we have a really good chance now that we have Aaron as coach,” senior Hayden Hemmens said. “I think we had a good team without Aaron, but Aaron is going to bring so much to the table that we’re going to be able to excel at everything that we were bad at before.”

Hemmens is among a group of swimmers returning to give Newport Harbor a strong team.

He made CIF in the 200-yard freestyle, in which he won the consolation final. He also qualified in the 100 backstroke, and two relays.

Jason Trzeciecki, Dominik Folkner and Jack Moorers are also returning swimmers who qualified for CIF last season. Sawyer Farmer and Simon Young, and newcomer Cole Schmitt are also expected to be key contributors.

Peirsol, who still holds world records in the 100 and 200 back, is planning to get them ready with his wealth of experience and his great knowledge.

“The most important thing about Aaron is he’s an extremely humble guy,” said Pavle Filipovic, an assistant coach in his fourth season with the Sailors. “He’s genuine. He loves to work with people with young men, teenagers. He relates to them very well because he was raised here. He’s a perfect type of person to lead this program because of who he is and because of his background.”

When Hemmens first heard that Newport Harbor was searching for a boys’ swim coach, he did think of Peirsol. The two met while working as Newport Beach lifeguards.

The Sailors lost their coach amid controversy last summer when Robert Lynn, who also coaches the boys’ water polo team, stepped down.

“We were all ecstatic [when Peirsol was named coach],” said sophomore Bobby McCracken, who is also on the boys’ water polo team.

“We were so excited. It’s great news because he’s a huge name in swimming. It was great and hopefully he can draw someone else for the boys’ water polo coaching position too. We have a lot of talent and I think it’s a beacon of light after [Lynn left]. And getting Aaron we have a lot of potential.”

The Sailors open Sunset League competition March 24 against Los Alamitos.

“We didn’t know for a while what would happen,” Filipovic said. “Once Aaron stepped in and he was named coach, the parents are excited and the kids are excited. There’s a huge wave of positive energy flowing around and that’s the most important thing right now.”