Brian Perry | Alumni

It's never the last time at DePauw

Brian Perry is forever connected to DePauw. A philosophy major at DePauw, he went on to earn a JD from Indiana University. Since 2000, Perry has been a teacher-coach at University School in Cleveland, teaching math and law at the all-boys school while also leading a highly successful swimming and diving program. 

Perry cites his DePauw swim coach, Adam Cohen, as a major influence in his coaching style. “I learned a lot about coaching from Adam. He was this seemingly tough character who had come over from the football field to coach swimming. It wasn’t his strategy or x’s and o’s that stuck with me, but how he cared for kids. He knew how to keep them in the program, no matter what their ability or contribution to the team. I didn’t recognize the value and intentionality of that at the time, but I do now as a coach myself.” 

Perry brings his team to Indiana over winter break. It began as a challenge circuit - pitting his swimmers up against the best from other states. It has flourished as a bonding and learning experience for the young swimmers. “I get to show my guys Greencastle and Bloomington. Sometimes we’ll practice at DePauw, tour campus and have a meal. Even though it might be the dead of winter, I like showing them around.” 

Perry’s daughter, Maggie, is a 2024 DePauw graduate and Murad Medal winner. “As my daughter was saying some goodbyes in May, I reminded her of how often I come back. I said, ‘It’s never the last time at DePauw.’ I’m always finding a reason to come back.”