By Blake Colston
Sports Editor
Who says you can’t go home?
For Tyler St. John, coming home unlocked a rare opportunity for a 22-year-old college student.
A three-time state champion swimmer for the Wildcats, St. John is part of the PHS swim program again. In fact, he’s in charge of it. St. John took over as head coach in June.
“I reached out to coach (Matt) Bilyeu (Piedmont athletic director) and told him I wanted to get back into the swimming world,” St. John said, hoping a volunteer assistant position might be available. Instead, Bilyeu offered St. John the keys to the program, and a modest stipend.
“I have the time and I can make it work around my school schedule,” St. John, a student at UCO, said. “It’s been really cool.”
His path to becoming head coach included a year of college classes at Oklahoma State and then two years in Florida. He never lost his passion for swimming, even though a shoulder injury ended his collegiate swimming career before it began.
Transitioning from competing to coaching has been a process. St. John said he goes to his former club coach, Phil Brougher, a legend in the Oklahoma swim community, for advice.
“He taught me so much and is still teaching me today,” St. John said.
Piedmont’s team is relatively young and inexperienced this year, but is working hard and willing to learn.
“These kids are very competitive. It’s fun because I’ve been in their shoes not too long ago,” he said.
Much has changed since St. John graduated high school. Most notably, Piedmont’s program is in Class 6A now.
“We’ve had to step up the practices. They’re definitely harder than when I was in school,” he said. “I let the kids work on what they want to work on while still being part of the team process.”
Piedmont has improved its times, both as a team and individually, in all but two races this season.
“What we’re doing is working,” St. John said.
Piedmont’s administration is 100% behind the swim program, St. John said. The program has a bigger budget than ever before and has access to some of the best practice facilities in the metro area.
“It’s fun to see how the program has changed,” he said.
Piedmont has its next meet Jan. 8 in Edmond at the Mitch Park YMCA.
