Richard A. Coppola Pool

Coppola Pool, located in the Canastra Health and Sports Center on the Rider University campus, is home to the Bronc swimming & diving program. The facility, which was built in the mid 1960s, was officially renamed for former Bronc swimming & diving head coach Richard Coppola by the University's Board of Trustees in June of 1997.

Coppola re-established Rider's modern day program in 1968 with the men's team and added the women's team in 1985. He served as head coach and aquatic director until August of 1997 when he became Rider's diving coach. He concluded his 31 years of coaching at Rider in the spring of 1999, and was inducted into the Rider Athletics Hall of fame in February 1999.

While Rider's head coach, Coppola compiled a won-loss record of 260-178.  His teams captured one Metropolitan Conference Championship, six New Jersey Intercollegiate Championships and his 1992-93 women's team recorded a perfect 10-0 record. Coppola was also recognized as an authority on stroke mechanics and conducted clinics and swimming schools in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania and internationally in both Brazil and the Dominican Republic. Coppola was named Swim Coach Emeritus upon his retirement from Rider.

The Coppola Pool features a competitive swimming course of six lanes, 25 yards, and diving facilities including one and three-meter boards located over 14 feet of water. There are permanent locker room facilities for Rider's men's and women's teams and offices housing members of the coaching staff. The spectator gallery has permanent seating for 500 spectator and a six-line Colorado Timing System scoreboard.

The Canastra Health and Sports Center also houses the student-athlete strength and conditioning center, a multi-exercise facility where the swimming & diving teams conduct dryland and strength training portions of their programs.  In addition to hosting Rider's swimming program, Coppola Pool is the home facility of Notre Dame High School's swimming program and also hosts the Hamilton Aquatic Club USA Swimming club team. In February, Coppola Pool serves as one of the sites of the New Jersey Interscholastic Swimming & Diving Championships' team competition