Bruce started his coaching career as a teenager when he coached sailing, his primary sport growing up.  His swim coaching career began in 1993 when he was a substitute coach for the Stanford Masters, a job he took to support his failed pro triathlon career.  Two years later, in 1995, Bruce started a USA Swim team at Alpine Hills (Alpine Portola Aquatics), which, under his leadership, grew from a small recreation swim team of 32 swimmers to a top age group program of 150+ swimmers, producing Junior National champions, Senior national and Olympic Trials qualifiers and Pacific and National record holders. In 2003 Bruce became a founding member of Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics when the Alpine swim team merged with SCRA and PASC. Bruce continued running the Alpine Hills site of PASA through 2013, at which time he decided to take a break from being a site director/head coach to focus on just coaching.  For the next 6 years, Bruce coached the 11-13 and 13-15 year old groups at the DKS site of PASA in Los Altos Hills, becoming a finalist for the 2016 ASCA National Age Group Coach of the Year.  In 2017, Ally Howe, who Bruce coached for 8 years, broke the American Record in the Women's 100yd Backstroke, while swimming for Stanford University.  Finally, in 2019, as the head coach of the Gunn High School Swim team, he led the Girls team to a CCS title by the largest margin in 12+ years. 

Bruce coached for two Hall of Fame coaches early in his career, who became his mentor coaches who shaped his current coaching philosophy.  The first is Richard Quick, the former Head Coach of the Stanford Women's Swim Team, who allowed Bruce to volunteer with the team in 1996 - 1998.  The second is Matt Kredich, the current head coach at University of Tennessee, who Bruce assisted at Brown University in 1998 - 1999. 

Bruce grew up in New York City, came out to the Bay Area to attend Stanford University where he majored in Economics and Biology.. He was an avid triathlete for many years and coached the Stanford Triathlon Team for a decade.  His current passions are spending time in Pescadero and exploring the world by bike.  Bruce is the parent to new two kittens - names still TBD. 

Coach Zach’s love for swimming started when he was 4 years old while taking swim lessons and playing in the pool at Hillsdale High School. Since then he has been in and around the pool in a variety of roles including: as a junior guard, swim instructor, lifeguard, supervisor, coach and even pool maintenance. Zach’s coaching priorities are to create an environment where athletes are safe, have fun and learn how to become better swimmers. He is excited to build a relationship with you and your children and help them become the best swimmers and people they can be. Our new coach wants swimmers to focus more on the process than the product and enjoy the journey more than the destination. 

The 2024-2025 Age Group 1 coach was a 2x MVP for his high school swim team and 1x MVP for his high school water polo team while attending Hillsdale High School. His events were the 100 Breaststroke and 100 Freestyle. He also swam at the College of San Mateo focusing on long distance freestyle events. Coach Zach has competed in numerous open water races and sprint triathlons. The newest PASA Coach brings with him 20 years of swim coach experience. He has been an assistant coach for the De Anza Cupertino Aquatic club and the Head Coach of Highlands Dolphins Aquatic Club. Our coach also was the Head Coach of the Carlmont High School Boys Water Polo team for 7 seasons. Assistant Coach for the College of San Mateo Swim Team for 6 seasons. 

With over 20 years of experience in the Bay Area Aquatics community, Coach Dave brings a wealth of experience to the PASA Menlo Park coaching staff, and elevates our program to new heights. 

What kids and teens love about Dave’s coaching style is the balance of fun and hard work. And the results speak for themselves. Coach Dave’s leadership has helped guide Zone 1 athletes to multiple Age group and Far Western Championships. But his commitment to the swim community goes beyond Alpine Hills. He is also an enthusiastic advocate for all of the athletes in our Zone. During his time as the All Star Team Manager for Zone 1 North, the team won 7 of the 10 years he managed. 

Coach Dave's commitment to nurturing talent also extends to high school coaching, where he masterfully led South San Francisco High to their first ever PAL Championship.

This dedication to swimming extends beyond the pool. He is also a preschool teacher and recreational specialist for the city of San Mateo. In these roles, he has worked with children of all ages to help them develop their physical, social, and emotional skills.

Coach Dave is a highly respected and experienced coach who is committed to helping swimmers reach their full potential. He is a valuable asset to the PASA Menlo Park swim team and the Bay Area Aquatics community.