FAIRMONT, W.Va. – Fairmont State University President Dr. Mike Davis announced the university is naming the swimming pool in honor of legendary Fairmont State Swimming Coach Steve Mahaney. Mahaney is a Fairmont State Athletics Hall of Famer and was named NAIA Coach of the Year in 1977.
 
"The renaming of this facility in honor of Coach Mahaney is a fitting tribute to a career that changed so many lives and put Fairmont State swimming on the map," remarked Fairmont State University President Davis. "As we seek to connect the threads of the past to the potential of our future the recognition of a Hall of Fame coach in this way creates a bond between swimmers of the past, present and future that will never be broken. This renaming is especially meaningful given the fundraising efforts led by Coach Mahaney's former student-athletes that will ensure that today's swimmers will have the resources they need to succeed."
 
The dedication of the Mahaney Natatorium will take place on the morning of November 11 in a special ceremony held at the Feaster Center Pool.
 
Mahaney served as the Fairmont State Head Swimming Coach from 1971-1988. During his tenure, he coached 150 NAIA All-Americans, which included 13, four-year All-Americans. His teams won 10 WVIAC championships and qualified for the NAIA National Championship. The men's team earned a fifth-place finish at the 1986 NAIA Championships while the women's team earned trips to the national tournament in 1986 & 1987. He coached the women's team to a fourth-place finish in 1987, with the team winning seven individual national championships and setting six national records at the event. He was inducted in the Fairmont State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001.

"It's the most wonderful honor that I could imagine," said Coach Mahaney. "When President Davis called, I was beyond excited. It was so unexpected. It is wonderful that I have the opportunity to share this honor with several of the swimmers that I coached. Nothing great is ever achieved without enthusiasm."
 
"To have a facility named after a head coach is a tremendous honor," said Fairmont State Director of Athletics Greg Bamberger. "This recognition is an indication of the tremendous impact Coach Mahaney had on his student-athletes and Fairmont State University.  He taught them not only how to be successful in the pool, but also in life. Congratulations to Coach Mahaney and his family for this lifetime recognition."
 
The donation page for the Feaster Center Pool Naming Initiative can be accessed here.
 
The dedication of the facility will take place at 9 a.m. on Saturday, November 11 at the Feaster Center Pool. All are welcome to attend the ceremony.