3-Time Olympic Coach
6-Time NCAA Coach of the Year
20-Time Pac-10 Coach of the Year
Over 33 years Skip Kenney has developed some of the top swimmers in the world. A testament to his accomplishments is the fact he stands alone amongst his peers in regards to team and individual accomplishments throughout his three decades of service at Stanford. He has coached with multiple Olympic teams and been on the forefront in developing young men both in and out of the water.
The position, now named the Goldman Family Director of Men's Swimming, was endowed in March, 2011, thanks to a gift from John and Marcia Goldman.
In 2004, he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, and a year later he was elected into the American Swim Coaches Hall of Fame. Kenney has led the Cardinal to seven NCAA titles, including a runaway win in 1998. He has also been named NCAA Coach of the Year six times (1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1998). In addition, Kenney has led the Cardinal to some of the finest team performances in the history of the NCAA Championship meet. He has also been named Pac-10 Coach of the Year a record 20 times (1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009).
The 1992 squad set NCAA meet records for points scored (632) and victory margin (276 points over Texas), and the 1998 team became the first to have a championship final representative in every individual and relay swimming event.
He has also coached a total of 134 All-Americans to 1086 All-American honors, and has developed 72 NCAA Champions.
Even more impressive, in the 33 years as a head coach, the Cardinal finished in the top-three, 26 times, and never lower than fourth since 1982. Kenney turned Stanford into a perennial contender since his arrival. Prior to his arrival, Stanford had won just one national title (1967) and finished third another three times from 1936 to 1980. Of the 61 conference championship teams since 1916-17, half (31) have come since Kenney's arrival--all in a row.
Prior to winning its first conference title in 1982, Stanford had not been atop the conference since 1958-59. Kenney's achievements as head coach at Stanford are unparalleled in Pac-10 history. His 31 consecutive conference titles stands as the record for consecutive Pac-10 championships in any sport.
The Cardinal broke the conference record for consecutive titles, established by UCLA men's basketball under John Wooden, in 1995 when it captured its 14th consecutive title. Another major achievement is that 100 percent of Kenney's student-athletes have earned their degrees. Also, 10 athletes since 1983 have been named CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, a list that includes three-time recipient and Olympian Pablo Morales, and fellow Olympians Ray Carey, Kurt Grote and Ben Wildman-Tobriner.
Kenney is also one of the top coaches on the international circuit. He was named men's coach for the U.S. team at the 2004 Short Course World Championships held in Indianapolis. He also served as head coach of the U.S. men's team at the 1996 Olympics, and was an assistant coach at both the 1984 and 1988 Olympics. He has also served as U.S. national team coach at many other world championships, Pan-American Games and Pan-Pacific Championships.
During his tenure, his list of former athletes is a who's who of the swimming world: Randall Bal (2007 Pan American Games Medalist, 2007 Japan International Swim Meet medalist), Dave Bottom (former American record holder), Ray Carey (1996 U.S. Olympian), Andy Grant (Gold and two-time silver medalist at 2007 Pan American Games) Kurt Grote (1996 Olympic Gold Medalist), Jeff Kostoff (1984 and 1988 U.S. Olympian, former American record holder), Peter Marshall (2007 Pan American Games Medalist, World record holder), John Moffet (1980 and 1984 U.S. Olympian, former world record holder), Pablo Morales (three-time Olympic Gold Medalist and former world record holder), Jay Mortensen (1988 U.S. Olympian), Anthony Mosse (1988 Olympic Bronze Medalist), Sean Murphy (1988 Canadian Olympian), Eddie Parenti (1992 and 1996 Canadian Olympian), Brian Retterer (former American record holder), Markus Rogan (Three-time Austrian Olympian, a world record holder in the 200 backstroke, a two-time Olympic silver medalist in 2004, and a 2007 World University Games Medalist), Jeff Rouse (1992 and 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist, world record holder), John Simons (1980 U.S. Olympian), Dave Sims (1980 U.S. Olympian), Ben Wildman-Tobriner (2008 Olympic Gold Medalist in the 400 free relay, 2007 two-time gold medalist at FINA World Championships, Former American record holder), Derek Weatherford (American record holder), and Tom Wilkens (2000 U.S. Olympian).
In 33 years as the head coach at Stanford, Kenney has posted a 243-40 (.859) overall record, including a 146-10 record (.936) over the past 18 years. Since the 2000-01 season, Stanford has lost just five times in dual meets, going 82-5. The team has finished second or third nationally 11 of the last 12 seasons.
Over a 14-year span from 1984 until 1998, the Cardinal won seven national titles, three-peating from 1985 to 1987 and from 1992 to 1994. Kenney's first national championship team in 1985 featured Olympians Pablo Morales, John Moffet and Jeff Kostoff, winning an unprecedented eight events. Morales, a sophomore at the time, won three of his 11 NCAA titles that year. In 1986, it was a lopsided affair, as the Cardinal beat Cal 404-335, taking home six individual titles. Kenney was named NCAA Coach of the Year for the second straight year, and third time in five seasons. The team's 1987 title was the curtain call for Morales and Kostoff, both seniors, as the Cardinal won five individual titles. The Cardinal dominated the field and routed second place USC by 78 points.
The next three-peat occurred from 1992 to 1994. In 1992, Stanford scored a record 632 points, smoking Texas by 276 points for its fourth title in eight years. At the meet alone, Cardinal swimmers set seven American records as it marked the first time a program had swept all five relays. A repeat was on in 1993, as the Cardinal came to the Championships following its 12th-straight Pac-10 title. The Cardinal came away with three individual titles and three relay titles. In 1994, Stanford racked up 566.5 points to beat Texas, winning five individual titles and three more relays.
The Class of 1994 established itself as the best group of swimmers in the history of the sport. Stanford again ran away from the rest of the field, finishing with 599 points in 1998, the second-most in school-history. The Cardinal had a finalist in each of the 18 finals, winning eight of them. Kenney began his career on The Farm in August 1979, taking three seasons to set the school-record for dual victories (11-2). He then posted the first undefeated season (14-0) in nearly two decades in 1982-83, as he ascended the national ladder. He finished 10th at his first NCAA Championship in 1980, ninth in his second, before finishing third in his third season at the helm.
A 1972 graduate of Long Beach State, Kenney was an assistant for the 49ers from 1968 to 1971, before heading the Harvard program from 1971 to 1972. His career then led to the Dads AAU Club in Houston from 1972 to 1976, before coaching the famous Cincinnati Pepsi Marlins AAU club team for three seasons from 1977 to 1979. The Marlins placed fourth (1977) and fifth (1978) nationally at the AAU Championships during his tenure.
He was twice named Coach of the Year by the Ohio AAU Association. Kenney was inducted into the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994-95 in recognition of his accomplishments in the men's swimming arena. Kenney has two children, Kristine and Richard.
| Year | Dual | Pac-10's | NCAA's | Honors |
| 1979-80 | 3-6 | 6th | 10th | |
| 1980-81 | 5-4 | 3rd | 9th | |
| 1981-82 | 11-2 | CHAMPIONS | 3rd | NCAA Coach of the Year |
| 1982-83 | 14-0 | CHAMPIONS | 4th | Pac-10 Coach of the Year, Pan-Am Games Coach |
| 1983-84 | 9-0 | CHAMPIONS | 3rd | U.S. Olympic Ass't Coach |
| 1984-85 | 9-0 | CHAMPIONS | CHAMPIONS | Pac-10 Coach of the Year, NCAA Coach of the Year |
| 1985-86 | 10-0 | CHAMPIONS | CHAMPIONS | Pac-10 Coach of the Year, NCAA Coach of the Year |
| 1986-87 | 11-1 | CHAMPIONS | CHAMPIONS | Pac-10 Coach of the Year, NCAA Coach of the Year, Pan-Am Games Head Coach |
| 1987-88 | 5-5 | CHAMPIONS | 3rd | U.S. Olympic Ass't Coach, Pac-10 Coach of the Year |
| 1988-89 | 7-2 | CHAMPIONS | 2nd | Pac-10 Coach of the Year |
| 1989-90 | 6-3 | CHAMPIONS | 3rd | |
| 1990-91 | 2-6 | CHAMPIONS | 2nd | Pac-10 Coach of the Year |
| 1991-92 | 5-1 | CHAMPIONS | CHAMPIONS | Pac-10 Coach of the Year, NCAA Coach of the Year |
| 1992-93 | 8-0 | CHAMPIONS | CHAMPIONS | Pan Pacific Coach, American Swim Coaches Ass'n Coach of the Year |
| 1993-94 | 10-0 | CHAMPIONS | CHAMPIONS | Pac-10 Coach of the Year |
| 1994-95 | 7-1 | CHAMPIONS | 2nd | Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame, Pac-10 Coach of the Year |
| 1995-96 | 7-0 | CHAMPIONS | 4th | U.S. Olympic Men's Head Coach |
| 1996-97 | 8-1 | CHAMPIONS | 2nd | Pac-10 Coach of the Year |
| 1997-98 | 7-0 | CHAMPIONS | CHAMPIONS | Pac-10 Coach of the Year, NCAA Coach of the Year |
| 1998-99 | 11-0 | CHAMPIONS | 2nd | |
| 1999-00 | 6-3 | CHAMPIONS | 4th | |
| 2000-01 | 8-0 | CHAMPIONS | 2nd | Pac-10 Coach of the Year |
| 2001-02 | 8-0 | CHAMPIONS | 2nd | Pac-10 Coach of the Year |
| 2002-03 | 8-0 | CHAMPIONS | 3rd | Pac-10 Coach of the Year |
| 2003-04 | 7-0 | CHAMPIONS | 2nd | International Swimming Hall of Fame, Pac-10 Coach of the Year |
| 2004-05 | 6-1 | CHAMPIONS | 2nd | American Swim Coaches Hall of Fame, Pac-10 Coach of the Year |
| 2005-06 | 5-1 | CHAMPIONS | 3rd | Pac-10 Coach of the Year |
| 2006-07 | 5-0 | CHAMPIONS | 2nd | Pac-10 Coach of the Year |
| 2007-08 | 6-1 | CHAMPIONS | 3rd | |
| 2008-09 | 8-0 | CHAMPIONS | 3rd | Pac-10 Coach of the Year |
| 2009-10 | 6-1 | CHAMPIONS | 4th | |
| 2010-11 | 7-0 | CHAMPIONS | 3rd | |
| 2011-12 | 7-1 | CHAMPOONS | 3rd | |
| Totals | 242-40 (.859) | 31 Pac-10 Titles | 7 NCAA Titles | 6-Time NCAA Coach of the Year 20-Time Pac-10 Coach of the Year |