After eight years as Sedona Red Rock High School’s head coach of the boys and girls swimming teams, A. Jay Bronson will leave both the school and the swim programs at the end of the school year for family reasons.

Bronson has been the head swimming coach and a teacher since 2010. During that same time he has been the head coach at the Sedona Swordfish swim club, and was an assistant coach at the club for two years before that.

“My biggest concern was the population and size of Sedona. Just looking around and seeing the numbers that have fallen off, based on the number of kids in the area, and we want to start a family sometime soon and I want to make sure I have a stable job moving forward,” Bronson said. “I’m sad to leave the area, but I’m excited that the team gets to keep going, keep moving forward, and the biggest thing is that it keeps being a place where athletes, and even sometimes non-athletes, get to come out and enjoy the sport and hopefully make it a lifelong activity.”

He and his wife, Bailey, will move to Oregon, where she has a job outside of Salem.

A. Jay Bronson said he is seeking employment as a teacher and pool manager. He would also like to continue coaching.
“I have some lines in already for coaching club and high school. It’s obviously a passion of mine so I want to continue doing it in some form or fashion,” Bronson said.

A class of 2005 alumnus of Red Rock, Bronson returned in 2010 and won his first 42 dual meets with the Scorpions boys. His other accomplishments include winning the Mingus Cup against local rival Mingus Union High School his first five seasons at the helm. The roster size grew to, at one time, make up to 10 percent of the school population, notably when there were 51 swimmers in 2012.

The boys team won its regional championship in 2010, 2011 and 2012. The girls were runners-up in 2011 and 2012.
Bronson also was an assistant basketball coach for one year, interim athletic director for six months and a sponsor of various clubs on campus.

He said some of his fondest memories coaching at Red Rock are from the team’s annual 24-hour relay. Swimmers and coaches all take turns swimming for 24 hours to raise money for the following year’s team competition suits and hotels.

He had some parting words for the program.

“Seeing kids that are either amazing athletes or kids that have just tried swimming, they did something that they didn’t think they were physically able to do. That’s always the coolest thing to see every year,” Bronson said. “I just wish the team has continued success and they excel in all aspects, and everyone that wants to come out and participate continues to come out and continues to participate.”

Bronson said Sean Emery, head coach of the Verde Valley High Performance club team and a former Scorpions assistant coach, and Daniel Morse, a new coach with the Swordfish, are the two applicants he is aware of to replace him.

Note: This story was updated on Thursday, May 10, to correct the spelling of Daniel Morse’s name.