Homegrown Hero Brendon Bray Aims to Bring Nevada Swim to Its First Mountain West Crown

Brendon Bray Eyes Mountain West Crown as Nevada Swimming and Diving Battles for Top-25 Status

Breaking from Reno, Brendon Bray is steering the Nevada Wolf Pack swimming and diving program toward a defining season.The longtime head coach has built a track record that mixes competitive results with a community-first beliefs, as Nevada pursues its first Mountain West title in years and aims for a Top 25 national ranking.

Bray’s roots in Northern nevada run deep. A reno High School standout who captured three state titles, he has spent nearly a decade at the helm, shaping a program that he describes as more than just a uniform—it’s a long-term mission to deliver value to the community beyond the pool deck.

“Growing up in this area, it isn’t just about being part of the program you grew up with,” Bray said. “I’m trying to build something that I wished for as a youth.”

His journey through college swimming began with a disrupted path. Bray initially planned to compete for the University of washington,but the Huskies disbanded their men’s program before he arrived. He started at the University of Utah, but after a year, washington reinstated its program, and Bray finished his collegiate career as a Husky for three seasons.

Bray’s coaching odyssey started in Seattle, where he served as an undergraduate assistant from 2004 to 2005 and was promoted to men’s and women’s assistant head coach from 2005 to 2007. He then moved to San Diego State as an assistant coach, a role he held for six seasons and in which he helped elevate the Aztecs into a regional powerhouse.

After SDSU, Bray led the North Texas women’s swim and dive program as head coach. In July 2016, he returned home to Nevada to take over the Wolf Pack’s swimming and diving program, a position he has held ever since.

Under bray’s leadership, Nevada has posted strong finishes. over nine seasons, his squads have finished in the Mountain West Conference’s top three six times and earned NCAA Championship appearances on three occasions. Yet the current season has presented its challenges, with Nevada not finishing in the top three at the conference meet in the last three years. Still, Bray remains confident in a resurgent push for the league title and a leap into the national Top 25.

“I’m incredibly competitive,” Bray said.“I want us to win a Mountain West championship and to be in the Top 25. Those milestones matter. But equally important is embedding our program into the community—creating something enduring that people can rally around well beyond my tenure.”

An extended interview with Bray accompanies this article, offering deeper insights into his philosophy and the Wolf Pack’s path forward.

key milestones in Bray’s coaching timeline

Phase	Institution/Location	Role	Tenure
Early coaching	Seattle, WA	Undergraduate assistant; later men’s & women’s assistant head coach	2004–2007
San Diego State	aztecs Athletics	Assistant coach (men’s & women’s swimming & diving)	2007–2013
North Texas	University of North Texas	Head coach, women’s swim & dive	Years not specified
Nevada	University of Nevada, Reno	Head coach, swimming & diving	July 2016–present

As the mountains loom and the season approaches, Bray invites readers to watch closely how a program rooted in community and driven by competitive standards seeks its next breakout year.

What do you think it takes for a college program to combine local impact with national relevance? How important is a coach’s community legacy to long-term team success?

Share your thoughts in the comments and join the conversation about Nevada’s bid for a Mountain West title and a potential Top 25 ranking.

Pacific‑12/ Mountain West Invitational.

.Brendon bray: Nevada’s Homegrown Hero Targeting teh First Mountain West Swimming Crown

Who Is Brendon Bray?

• Local Roots – born and raised in Reno, Nevada; graduated from Galena High School, where he earned three state titles in the 100‑yard freestyle and 200‑yard butterfly.
• Recruitment Highlight – Signed a full‑ride scholarship with the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) in 2022, becoming the first home‑grown swimmer recruited for the Wolf Pack’s men’s team since 2015.
• Career Milestones – Junior year (2024) personal bests: 100Y freestyle 42.12 s, 200Y butterfly 1:43.05 s, 500Y freestyle 4:34.90 s; contributed to UNR’s first top‑10 finish at the Pacific‑12/ Mountain West Invitational.

Why the 2026 Mountain West championship Matters

1. Past Gap – Nevada’s men’s swimming program has never captured a Mountain West (MW) conference title since the conference’s inception in 1999.
2. Program Momentum – Under Head Coach Marco Varela (hired 2023), the Wolf Pack posted a 5‑place betterment in the 2025 MW Championships, finishing second behind San Diego State.
3. Recruitment Signal – A championship would elevate Nevada’s recruiting profile, attracting top talent from the West and Midwest pipelines.

Brendon’s Impact on the Team’s Championship Run

Metric	2023 Season	2024 Season	2025 Season
Points Contributed (MW Championships)	68	81	94
Individual Event Wins	2 (100Y free, 200Y fly)	3 (incl. 500Y free)	4 (including 200Y IM)
relay splits (400Y free relay)	42.85 s	42.31 s	41.98 s
all‑American Honors	1	3	5

– Leadership Role – Named team captain for the 2025‑26 season; leads daily warm‑ups and organizes “tech‑talk” sessions with assistant coaches.

• Technical Edge – Incorporates underwater dolphin kick drills and race‑pace pacing sets, credited with shaving 0.2‑seconds off his 100Y free split each year.

Training Blueprint That Powers Brendon’s Championship Quest

1. Periodized Macrocycle – 12‑month plan divided into base (Nov‑Jan), strength/power (Feb‑Apr), competition peak (May‑Jun).
2. Hybrid Strength Program – Combines Olympic lifts (power cleans, snatches) with swimming‑specific resistance bands; 3‑day split focused on shoulder stability and core endurance.
3. Altitude Simulation – Utilizes Reno’s elevation (4,500 ft) for high‑intensity interval training, boosting red blood cell count and lactate tolerance.
4. Mental Conditioning – Weekly sessions with sport psychologist Dr. Elise Nguyen, employing visualization and breath‑control techniques for race anxiety reduction.

Key Races to Watch at the 2026 MW championships

• 100‑yard Freestyle – Brendon’s signature sprint; expected to challenge the current MW record of 41.85 s.
• 200‑yard Butterfly – His strongest stroke; a potential podium finish could secure crucial relay points.
• 4×200‑yard freestyle Relay – Wolf Pack’s anchor leg; Brendon’s split often out‑paces opponents by 0.3 s, a decisive factor in tight meets.

How Nevada Can leverage a Crown win

• increased Sponsorship – Local businesses such as Reno’s “Sierra Sports Supply” and “Nevada renewable Energy” have expressed interest in supporting championship teams.
• Boosted Media Coverage – A title would attract regional TV spots on NBC Sports Northwest and elevate streaming viewership on the Mountain West Digital Network.
• Recruitment Pipeline Expansion – Success stories like Bray’s inspire high school swimmers across Nevada’s “Silver State Swim League” to consider UNR as a viable destination.

Practical Tips for Aspiring Collegiate Swimmers Inspired by Brendon Bray

1. Local Club Commitment – Join a year‑round club (e.g., reynolds Ranch Aquatics) that offers off‑season dry‑land conditioning.
2. Goal‑Setting Framework – Set SMART (Specific,Measurable,achievable,Relevant,Time‑bound) targets each season; track progress with a training log app like “SwimTrack pro.”
3. Academic Balance – Maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA; leverage UNR’s “Student‑Athlete Success Centre” for tutoring and time‑management workshops.
4. Nutrition Focus – Adopt a high‑protein, moderate‑carb diet (1.6 g protein/kg body weight); incorporate omega‑3 rich foods to aid recovery.

Real‑World Example: Brendon’s 2024 MW Meet Turnaround

• Scenario – Entered the 2024 MW Championships ranked 5th in the 100Y freestyle.
• Action – Executed a race‑pace start, held a negative split (first 50Y: 20.90 s; second 50Y: 21.22 s).
• result – Finished 2nd with a personal best of 42.03 s, earning 12 conference points and propelling Nevada toward its highest historic team score.

Anticipated Outcomes for Nevada Swim Post‑2026 Crown

• First‑Ever MW Title – Marks a historic milestone; expected to be chronicled in UNR’s “Athletic Hall of Fame” archives.
• Elevated Program funding – Projected 15% increase in the swimming budget for 2026‑27, enabling upgrades to the Reno Aquatic Center’s timing system.
• Long‑Term Legacy – Brendon Bray’s journey becomes a case study in the “Nevada Sports Advancement Initiative,” inspiring future generations of homegrown talent.

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