Coach Mark Bernardino Announces Retirement
Coach Mark Bernardino, who has been the Associate Head Coach at North Carolina State since 2018, has announced his retirement from coaching. The decision was revealed by North Carolina State in a press release on Friday. A member of the American Swim Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the International Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Bernardino established a rich legacy on the collegiate deck while developing championship athletes.
“Mark didn’t just coach teams or individuals, he shaped lives,” Braden Holloway, the head coach at North Carolina State. “His guidance, passion and integrity have left a lasting mark. To be able to coach alongside a mentor for these years has been a remarkable journey.
“I am grateful for Mark spending the last portion of his career wearing the Red & White. Coaches like Mark don’t retire – they live on in the hearts of every athlete or coach they have inspired.”
At N.C. State, Bernardino played a significant role in helping the Wolfpack further their climb to elite status in the NCAA ranks. His impact was consoderably noticeable through the work he did with the distance groups, with the likes of Will Gallant, Ross Dant and Owen Lloyd emerging as standouts. Gallant was crowned an NCAA champion under Bernardino’s watch.
“Few people have been as blessed and fortunate as I have to have pursued their life’s passion and joy for as long as I have,” Bernardino said in the N.C. State press release. “These past seven years as a member of Coach Braden Holloway’s staff and team at N.C. State will be memories I cherish forever. Working with Braden, a legendary coach and the best coach in ACC history, has allowed me the opportunity to grow both as a coach and a leader and be positively influenced as a coach and person. No one should ever stop learning and progressing, and these last seven years at N.C. State provided an exclamation point to my career. I am thankful and love every athlete whom I have coached, for they have been my great teachers. I thank and love the coaches who have stood by my side and shared this journey with me. I look forward to the continued growth of the sport of swimming, and I hope for the betterment of years to come.”
Before moving to N.C. State, Bernardino was the head coach at the University of Virginia from 1978-2013, with the UVA programs capturing 27 ACC championships during his tenure. Bernardino also served as the Associate Head Coach at the University of South Carolina from 2014-2018.
He was recognized as ACC Coach of the Year on 31 occasions, a conference record, and served as a Team USA coach at multiple international meets.