There is not a more nationally decorated or distinguished coach on the Drury athletic staff than men's and women's swimming and diving coach Brian Reynolds, who is now in his 25th year with the men's program and 20th year with the DU women.

That's the unique territory you enter when, as Reynolds as done, you produce a national championship contender in your sport year in and year out, a program that expects to win every time its athletes hit the water.

Or when, like Reynolds, you've done enough in your sport to warrant induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, the ultimate honor to be bestowed upon Reynolds when the local shrine holds its annual induction dinner and ceremony in February, 2007.

His Panther men's squad is seeking its fourth straight NCAA Division II national championship this season, while the DU women look to repeat as champions after riding a string of six consecutive national runner-up finishes and claiming four national titles in a row of their own from 1996-2000 - as Drury has become THE name in D-II swimming across the U.S.

Coach Reynolds has earned several honors, which include being named as the NCAA-II national Coach-of-the-Year in the women’s division in 1996 and 1997 and was the men’s division Coach-of-the-Year in 1996, 1999 and 2003 as well as in 2005 and '06.

His illustrious record also includes eight NAIA national championships on the men's side - including a remarkable run of seven straight titles from 1987-94 - and three NAIA women's championships, those coming in consecutive years from 1986-89.

Preparation, practice, recruiting and discipline have been some of the key components that have been the foundation of the Panthers success, traits Reynolds learned early in his career as a successful swimmer at Drury and as an assistant coach before taking over the program from long-time Panther coach Jack Steck. A native of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Brian was on two national championship teams in 1981 and 1982.

Reynolds also has been involved with the highly successful Springfield Aquatics Swim Club as its director for 25 years. The area's premier junior competitive swimming program, one of the oldest in the Midwest, consists of approximately 140 swimmers from ages 8 through 18, dozens of which have gone on to swim collegiately for the Drury squads and other NCAA programs as well.

SPA has had numerous junior national qualifiers, three junior national champions, a half-dozen senior national qualifiers and this year had its first Olympic Trials qualifier in former Glendale High School star and current Notre Dame 100 Back specialist Caroline Johnson.

"I enjoy coaching the kids as much as I do the collegiate athletes simpy because of their desire to learn and their enthusiasm toward the sport of swimming," Reynolds says. "I coach them every day, twice a day during the summer and have thouroughly enjoyed watching these kids develop into young athletes."

Reynolds and wife Amy have also been conducting the Springfield Prep lesson program for ages 4 to 13 for 26 years as well.

"We've had kids go from the lesson program's 'learn to swim' program to national and junior national qualifiers," Reynolds said. "That's been one of our most rewarding experiences."

Reynolds earned his master’s degree from the University of Central Arkansas in 1986 and is an assistant professor in the Drury exercise and sport science department. He and Amy have four children: Brooke, Zach, Allie and Tanner.