Anthony Conrad Nesty acquired the hero status in South America almost instantaneously in 1988. Representing Suriname at the 1988 Games in Seoul, he beat American ace Matt Biondi for the 100-meter gold. Interestingly, now he is charged with helping Team U.S.A. add as many gold medals as possible at the upcoming 2024 Paris Games. This Trinidad native received the Coach Of The Year title at the Golden Goggle Awards in Los Angeles today to commemorate his rich legacy in the North American waters.

Nesty is currently employed as the head coach for the Florida Gators. Nonetheless, he also takes charge of the U.S. national team whenever the occasion calls for it. His tenure as a coach is colored by numerous achievements. And today, Team U.S.A. tipped its cap to this star-maker during a brilliant award ceremony.

Anthony Nesty’s coaching successes

As a coach for the University of Florida, Anthony Nesty works with the top swimmers of Team U.S.A., including Katie Ledecky, Caeleb Dressel, and Bobby Finke. In 2022, he was trusted to coach the team at the World Championship, where his expertise bore fruit in the form of multiple medals. Before that, he served as the Assistant coach for the U.S. Men’s Olympic Swim Team.

In 2022, Nesty became the first black man to coach the American team during the World Championships. He had come a long way in his coaching journey he began as a high school coaching staff at the Nease High School in Jacksonville. However, his greatest moment was yet to come. In September 2023, Anthony Nesty was chosen as the head coach for the U.S. men’s swimming team in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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Nesty became an unmissable part of history by becoming the first black head coach for the powerhouse Olympic team. Todd DeSorbo will be the head coach for the women’s squad, and together with Nesty, he hopes to put Team U.S.A. at the top of the medal table. Along those lines, Anthony Nesty said, “I’m excited to be the men’s head Olympic coach in Paris…Todd and I look forward to coaching these athletes to the best of their abilities in Paris next summer”.

He takes his coaching role very seriously and explains, “You know you’re a role model…You have to take that very seriously. Maybe it’s why I work so hard at what I do. I try to be the best Anthony Nesty I can be”. With that mission in mind, Anthony Nesty has always been there for his athletes whenever they needed his help.

A dedicated role model

Anthony Nesty has never been afraid to challenge issues affecting his swimmers. When Caeleb Dressel was facing the internet’s ire for prioritizing his cognitive well-being over his swimming goals, Nesty vindicated him with a strong response. He said, “Mental health is a serious issue, and everybody deals with it differently. Sometimes it takes time to heal from that, and everybody heals differently”. Also, when the U.S.A. Swimming lifted the ban on soul caps in the correct move towards inclusivity, and Nesty welcomed the decision. He said, “Anything that can help the sport have more athletes of color is one less thing to worry about.”

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For these salient yet vital reasons, he is beloved by all the swimmers on the U.S. team. Katie Ledecky credited him for the Female Athlete of the Year award. During her acceptance speech at the same award, she said, “I wanna thank my coach Anthony Nesty for guiding me and helping me achieve what I did this summer and to all my Florida teammates many of whom are here tonight, thank you for pushing me today”.

Nesty has worked hard to nurture these legendary swimmers in his time as coach, and an award win does not come as a surprise.

Watch this story: Here’s How Katie Ledecky’s Remarkable Swimming Technique Propelled Her to the Top of the World Record Charts