Tupelo hires Daniel to lead swim program
Jul. 27—TUPELO — Josh Daniel has been hired to lead Tupelo High School's perennially strong swimming program.
Daniel received school board approval Tuesday afternoon. He replaces Lucas Smith, who led Tupelo's boys and girls teams to a combined 22 state championships over 17 years before retiring this summer.
Daniel, 42, has been the head coach at Lafayette since 2017.
"Lucas built an absolutely incredible program," Daniel said. "I just want to continue that success. I want our program to continue to be the envy of the state."
Lafayette revived its swim program in 2016, the same year Daniel came to Lafayette as a teacher. He inherited seven swimmers his first year as coach, and this year there are more than 20.
The Commodores progressively improved, sending more swimmers to North Half each year, and last season they earned their first points at the state meet.
At Tupelo, everything Daniel needs is already in place.
"It's a different approach," he said. "We are not building anything. It's already here."
Prior to Lafayette, Daniel spent seven years coaching baseball and football in Vidalia, Louisiana. He had not coached swimming before 2017, but he was a swimmer at Cape Central High School in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He also played football.
"I had to have been the only swimmer that swam at state that was also an offensive lineman. My life was football and swim," Daniel said.
Mighty tradition
At Tupelo, he inherits a program that saw its boys team win 13-straight state titles before Madison Central ended the streak last year. The boys have 14 total titles, the girls eight.
"People always ask, 'Do you want to put your stamp on it?' You know, I really want the kids to put their stamp on it. It's not about me," Daniel said.
"I am just a facilitator to get them to where they want to be, which is successful and happy and well-adjusted."
