On February 7th, Shawn Buchanan recorded his 100th win as a swimming head coach tallying the win against his alma mater, Morristown High School.

Buchanan’s journey in swimming did not start at Pascack Valley. He started coaching summer leagues at 15 years old. When he was 16 years old, Buchanan was the head coach of a summer program.

Buchanan started the Pascack Valley swim program in 2003-04, and the team has continued to grow. Coach Buchanan talked about recording his 100th win for the program he started.

“It is a very proud moment for the program, really, to see how far the team has come from the very beginning,” Buchanan said. “It’s just amazing to see the many years devoted to the program. So it was a great, great honor to be part of that moment.”

Following the 2013-14 season, Buchanan stepped down from his position as head coach to take on the role of Pascack Valley’s Athletic Director.  He returned to the classroom for the 2022-23 school year and reclaimed his position as head coach for the 2023-24 season, replacing former coach Courtney Rems.

Now, Mr. Buchanan teaches English courses for freshmen and American Studies for juniors. Buchanan reflected on what made him come back to the swimming team. 

“I missed coaching. I missed the sport, something that I grew up with my entire life,” Coach Buchanan said. “I love working with swimmers, and with students trying to capture that energy and that passion for the sport. So it’s something that when I stepped down, I knew I would always miss it, and then when the opportunity arose for me to be able to coach again I jumped at it,” he added.

In his first season back with the Pascack Valley Girls and Boys programs, Coach Buchanan had a very successful year. 

For the girls, Buchanan led the squad to a 9-1 overall record and a 4-0 record in the Big North – Liberty Conference. The girls made it to the semifinal round of the North 1, Group A, NJSIAA Tournament.

For the boys, the team finished with a 6-4 overall record and a 3-1 record in the Big North – Liberty Conference. The boys made it to the quarterfinal round of the North 1, Group A, NJSIAA Tournament.

Buchanan talked about what stood out to him as being a coach.

“[I] just think of all the teams that I’ve gotten a chance to work with and been honored to coach,” Buchanan said. “This is just a culmination of all that hard work for every single team that has come through Pascack Valley. It’s just a testament to all of their hard work and all of us working together for a common goal.”