This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its authentic location you possibly can go to the hyperlink bellow:
https://www.amestrib.com/story/sports/high-school/2026/02/06/ames-swimming-joe-fisher-retiring-coach-ihsaa-ighsau/88473989007/
and if you wish to take away this text from our website please contact us
Ames boys swimmers discuss the legacy of coach Joe Fisher
Ames boys swimmers Jack Fowler and Brandon Terry on the legacy of Ames swimming coach Joe Fisher, who’s retiring on the finish of the boys season.
July 21, 2020, was one of many worst days of Joe Fisher’s life.
But it additionally marked the start of a memorable journey.
His expensive buddy, swimming rival, teammate, and mentor, Dan Flannery, handed away from a mind aneurysm.
Amidst the heartbreak and mourning, then-Ames Athletic Director Judge Johnston needed to decide. The ladies swimming and diving season was simply across the nook, and he wanted to determine who can be the subsequent coach.
With his oldest little one, Lauren, having simply entered the Ames High ladies swimming program the earlier yr, Fisher knew he wished to assist hold the custom alive of the proud Little Cyclone ladies and boys groups. The Ames ladies had received eight state championships beneath Flannery, and the boys additionally introduced residence a title
Flannery and Fisher had competed in opposition to one another in highschool throughout the Nineties when Flannery swam at Urbandale and Fisher was at Ames, swimming for legendary coach Mike Wittmer. Then they grew to become teammates at Iowa State beneath Trip Hedrick.
Fisher had began to gravitate away from swimming after graduating from faculty in 1999. But he all the time yearned to provide again to the game, and when Lauren, a pupil at Gilbert, began moving into swimming, Flannery got here calling.
Flannery requested Fisher to hitch his powerhouse Ames packages as an assistant in 2013. After a dialog together with his spouse Brenda, and kids, Lauren, Josh, Chris and Ryan, he determined to take the job.
After serving to Flannery win 5 of his ladies state swimming staff titles at Ames, Fisher was Johnston’s logical option to take the reins of each packages in the summertime of 2020.
Fisher agreed. Under one situation.
“When Dan passed, Judge came to me and said ‘Hey, we’ve got to make a decision on what direction we want to go here,’” Fisher mentioned. “I said to him I’ll make you a deal. I said I’ll step in and do this until my youngest is done.”
Moving to 2026, his 4 youngsters are actually out of swimming. After seven profitable years, Fisher is ready to retire following the IHSAA boys state swimming meet on Feb. 13-14 on the University of Iowa.
“Joe Fisher has been a staple in the Ames swimming community since the late 1990s, whether as an athlete or a coach,” mentioned present Ames Athletic Director Lyle Fedders. “The impact he has had on our girls and boys swim programs is immeasurable. Joe personifies the qualities of any excellent coach and has made our swim program better through his leadership. He will be greatly missed by myself and the Ames swim community.”
Having Fisher keep on with this system after Flannery’s passing was a godsend for Ames.
“Coach Joe Fisher was an amazing mentor to us girls after Dan Flannery’s passing,” mentioned Ames ladies swimming legend Meghan Donald. “He really helped us not only in the pool, but outside of it as we coped with it.”
Donald, a 2022 Ames graduate, is now a senior All-American on the North Carolina State girls’s swimming and diving staff. She helped Ames win its final IGHSAU state swimming and diving staff championship in November of 2020 — Fisher’s first season as head coach — earlier than being named the IGHSAU Athlete of the Year on the 2021 state swimming and diving meet.
Fisher was an essential a part of her profession.
“He always was so supportive of any endeavor that any of us girls wanted to do, and anytime we accomplished anything, he was always so proud of us,” Donald mentioned. “I am forever grateful for coach Fisher and everything he did for Ames High swimming and the legacy he helped leave.”
Fisher had a hand within the success of a number of excellent ladies and boys swimmers at Ames.
During his teaching profession on the ladies facet, he coached 39 All-American’s as an assistant and 13 as a head coach. Every college file was damaged when he was an assistant, and two of these information had been damaged once more after he grew to become head coach.
Fisher coached 21 particular person and 5 staff state champions as an assistant beneath Flannery. As head coach, he guided six particular person champions and one staff champion.
He was named the 2020 Iowa High School Swim Coach Association Coach of the Year.
On the boys facet, Fisher was a part of one staff and particular person championship apiece as an assistant, and he coached two particular person state champions as the top of this system. He coached seven whole boys All-Americans, six coming throughout his tenure as head coach.
As a lot success as he loved, each as an assistant and head coach, being a swimming coach was about much more to Fisher.
He has gained essentially the most satisfaction from watching his swimmers reach life and grow to be productive younger adults.
“He’s amazing to me,” mentioned Ames boys swimmer Brandon Terry. “He’s my coach. I love him. He just means everything to me.”
Terry mentioned essentially the most spectacular factor about Fisher is his willingness to offer a lot optimistic help to his athletes, in and out of doors of the pool.
“He can connect with you on a personal level,” Terry mentioned. “Some guys, they just write sets and tell you what to do. When he sees you struggling, he will come down, sit next to you and start talking to you.”
His athletes all the time beloved spending time with him.
“I enjoy car rides back from state,” mentioned Ames boys swimmer Jack Fowler. “We’d always get chatting, me, Brandon and Joe. Just talking with Joe is fun.”
There are 4 athletes Fisher particularly loved being round.
“I’m not going to say my youngsters beloved me as their coach daily, however I inform ya, I positive beloved teaching them daily,” Fisher mentioned. “Hands down, those moments are the best.”
As the sun sets on his career, Fisher will have one more meet at the Dan Flannery Pool in Ames when the Little Cyclones host an IHSAA boys district swimming meet on Feb. 7. Then it is on to one final state meet.
He will have the same goal for every swimmer that he always has for the state meet. Best times.
“Just finishing off right,” Fisher mentioned. “The enjoyable half is you’ve all the time obtained a gaggle of children that work. I’m actually pleased with the children which have purchased into our program.”
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its authentic location you possibly can go to the hyperlink bellow:
https://www.amestrib.com/story/sports/high-school/2026/02/06/ames-swimming-joe-fisher-retiring-coach-ihsaa-ighsau/88473989007/
and if you wish to take away this text from our website please contact us
