Former English teacher and wrestling coach Steve Swanson passed away on October 21, 1989, following a long illness. Originally from New Jersey, Steve received his Bachelor’s degree in English from Rutgers University and his teaching credential and Masters in English from San Francisco State University.

Mr. Swanson began teaching English at Riordan in 1978 and soon became the Head of the English Department. His Senior Literature class is remembered by many graduates as one of their most memorable experiences at Riordan. He used Beowolf to the Beatles for poetry, and opened his students minds with such unconventional literary works such at Slaughterhouse Five and One Flew Over the Cukoo’s Nest. He had an innovative teaching style and his love for the subject matter was transferred to his students. He published the poetry, prose and short stories of his Senior Writing class in the Literary Magazine, which he edited and published each year.

Steven Swanson was more than just a fine teacher. He was a teacher who really cared about each and every student and spent much of his free time reaching out to students on a personal level. One way he did this through his involvement with the retreat program at Riordan. He was a leader on numerous Kairos retreats and spent five summers with Riordan student leaders at the LIFE leadership retreats run by the Marianist Province of the Pacific. Another way he reached out to students was to take his teaching beyond the walls of the classroom. Many of his former students fondly recall how he would take 75 to100 Senior Literature students to a Saturday matinee and pizza to reinforce concepts learned in the classroom. Finally, his care and personal involvement with students inspired him to pursue a career in counseling. He became a part-time counselor at Riordan and when he died was very near completing his Masters Degree in Counseling at San Francisco State University.

One of Mr. Swanson’s greatest joys at Riordan High School was the Wrestling Team. He started the wrestling program in 1979 and built the program from one wrestler to a team with over 50 students participating. His first wrestler, Adam Cohen, was a two-time CCS champion, State placer and eventual NCAA finalist at Arizona State University. Mr. Swanson went on to coach ten league champions and six CCS placers. He made his team tough with a very competitive schedule, traveling throughout the State and beyond to seek the best competition possible. Riordan Wrestlers traveled to Las Vegas, Reno, and Hawaii and were always a well-respected and extremely competitive team . Even though he retired from coaching in 1988 to pursue his counseling degree, he still remained involved in the wrestling program. He helped out the new coach with the administration of the team and he enthusiastically did the announcing at the Crusader Classic, all the WCAL matches, and the league finals.

Mr. Swanson’s dream for Riordan Wrestling was to see its growth continue. To accomplish that dream, he wanted to build a practice facility for the team. Mr. Swanson’s parents, Alex and Julia Swanson, have set up a fund to help fulfill that dream to build a Wrestling Room.

Mr. Swanson’s warmth, wit, enthusiasm, and intelligence will surely be missed at Riordan High School. His life was an inspiration to all who knew him. He was truly a man who encompassed and inspired the Riordan spirit of Pride, Purpose, and Performance.

As Athletic Director, Ron Isola, supported the growth of the program by helping the team obtain a Mat Room in 1990 and he helped the expansion and upgrades over the ensuing years. Isola also supported the teams growth of staff, budget, club organization, and hosting of tournaments and events. The wrestling program would have never succeeded without Ron Isola’s leadership and commitment to wrestling at Riordan.