Steve Neale, head coach of the varsity swim team and a history teacher at William S. Hart High School, announced his intention to retire after the 2019 season on Tuesday.

Neale’s impact was felt not only at Hart High School, but across the schools of the Foothill League, a fact encompassed by the presentation of a lifetime achievement award to him by one of his team’s opponents, West Ranch High School.

“It is safe to say that Steve Neale is the face of high school swimming in the Santa Clarita Valley,” said Megan Schultz, assistant swim and dive coach for West Ranch High. “I had the honor of swimming for him during my four years at Hart, but even those that didn’t swim for him were touched by his legacy. That was never more obvious than last week when West Ranch hosted Hart for the last dual meet of the season.”

At that meet on April 17, the West Ranch High coaching staff presented Neale with an award from the West Ranch Swim & Dive team acknowledging his 35 years of excellence, dedication and service to the Foothill League.

Arguably no one has contributed more to the Hart swim program than Neale, who navigated his way from team captain of Hart’s inaugural varsity swim team in 1970 to eventually become the program’s head coach for 35 years.

After that 1970 season, Neale went on to continue his swimming and academic career at California State University, Northridge (CSUN).

In his time at CSUN, Neale competed in both swim and water polo for four years, participating in three Division II NCAA swim championships over that time.

Following graduation, Neale returned to Hart High from 1975 to 1978 to serve as an assistant coach to Joel Barr.

Neale then secured his first head coaching position as the head girls coach for Saugus High School from 1979 to 1982, which was followed by a one year stint as the head water polo and boys and girls swim coach at Simi High School from 1982 to 1983.

Finally, Neale was able to return to his alma mater as the head boys and girls swim coach in 1984, a position he has remained in ever since.

“I’m so grateful that I was able to swim for him during my years at Hart. He showed me what a true team can do when we all come together and support one another and never, ever give up,” Schultz said. “Mr. Steve Neale, aka, the man of Steel, will forever be the face of Hart High Swim and the face of swimming in Santa Clarita.”

In his time as head coach, Hart swim has been highly competitive within the Foothill League and in statewide competition.

Under his tenure, the boys team was the CIF Division-II State Champion in 2002 and finished as runners up in 1998 and 1999, while the girls team took home the state champion title in 2008, and earned runner-up recognition in 1995 and 2009.

While Neale does intend to retire, he doesn’t seem to intend to stop swimming, as he continues to compete in swimming competitions and to participate in triathlons, having completed two Hawaiian Ironman World Championships, according to his Hart swim biography.

Traditionally Neale has worked his summers as a Los Angeles County lifeguard at Castaic Lake, but the jury is still out on whether Neale’s retirement plans include plans to retire from his summer job as well.

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