Mt. Pleasant swim coach Sandy Felice steps down after remarkable career

By: Paul Schofield
Thursday, May 1, 2025 | 5:55 PM

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Mt. Pleasant is looking for a new swimming coach.

That’s because longtime coach Sandy Felice, who led the Vikings boys and girls to Class 2A state titles, has decided to go out on top and hang up her whistle after 40 years.

Felice, 68, began coaching in 1979 as a diving coach at Norwin. She then spent five seasons coaching the Penn-Trafford Aqua Club before being hired as a physical education teacher and swimming coach at Mt. Pleasant in 1986.

The 1975 graduate of Hempfield retired as a teacher in 2014.

“I remember when I was 18 and swimming for the YMCA that I prayed to God that I wanted be a teacher and coach,” Felice said. “I felt God would direct my path in life, and He sure did.”

During her reign as coach, the Vikings girls won three consecutive (2023-25) PIAA titles and were runner-up in 2022. The boys won their first title this year and were runners-up in 2024.

“As a coach, I was hoping someday to coach one PIAA champion,” Felice said. “I got multiple champions.”

Heather Gardner was her first individual champion when she awarded a PIAA medal during the 2020 pandemic because she was the top seed in the 50 freestyle in Class 2A.

Lily King followed by winning eight individual PIAA titles, Joseph Gardner four titles, David Mutter won three and Kirsten O’Connor three. King is also the first swimmer to complete the Sweet 16 by winning eight WPIAL and eight PIAA titles.

The four also were on numerous relay teams that won PIAA and WPIAL titles.

King is headed to N.C. State, O’Connor to Connecticut, Gardner to Pitt and Mutter to St. Bonaventure.

“I’ve been blessed to coach some amazing athletes,” Felice said. “They were all hard workers and were dedicated to the sport. They spent hours in the pool.”

Felice said that she turned in her resignation April 25 and that the school posted the job within the district.

She is unsure who will be the next coach but said assistants Joey Barrick and Macy Probst showed interest.

Whoever gets the job, they will be filling big shoes.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Mt. Pleasant