Michael Kotch joins Regis College as the new Aquatics Director and Head Coach of Swimming and Diving. He previously served as an assistant in both capacities at Bentley College in Waltham, Mass. During his six seasons at Bentley, Kotch helped lead both the men's and women's swimming programs to five NEISDA titles each.
Kotch graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in accounting from Bentley College in 1998, and later earned his MBA in 2004. He was a four-year athlete for the Falcons during his collegiate career, competing in both baseball and swimming. He formerly held numerous school records in swimming, most coming in the freestyle and individual medley events, and was the MVP of Bentley's first four varsity swim teams. As a senior, Kotch served as a team captain.
A native of Attleboro, Kotch now resides in Ashland with his wife, Katie, and daughter Taylor.
Breda joins the program having served four years as a swimmer for Bentley University. She was recruited to Bentley University by Regis College head coach Mike Kotch, and evolved into a top point scorer for the Falcons.
Serving as Kotch's assistant, O'Connor will be responsible for athlete development, practice oversight and scheduling, and working with swimmers on their mechanics.
At the 2009 New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Championships, O'Connor finished fourth in the 50-yard backstroke, sixth in the 100 backstroke, and 12th in the 200 backstroke.
O'Connor's success led the Falcons to a second place finish in 2009. During her time at Bentley she helped the team reach two first place, and two second place finishes at the NEISDA Championships.
"Breda brings a wealth of knowledge," says Kotch. "She had the opportunity to learn from one of the greatest minds in American swimming while helping coach the Gators (Bernal's Gator Swim Club)."
Kotch coached O'Connor for three seasons, and feels she will bring a unique level of consistency to the Pride swim program. O'Connor earned her Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Bentley in 2009.
