Bill Peak

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Bill Peak (1945–December 23, 1996) was an American swimming coach best known for guiding Mary T. Meagher to world records in the 100- and 200-meter butterfly while they were at Lakeside Swim Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Meagher’s butterfly times were record-setting for many years; her 200-meter butterfly time of 2:05.96 from 1981 remained the U.S. Open fastest time for decades.

Peak served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam, earning a Bronze Star.

Coaching career:
- Lakeside Swim Club (1977–1984) in Louisville. He also coached 1984 Olympian Tori Trees and other top swimmers. The program trained a large group of swimmers with very early and long practices, and Peak helped introduce strength training to Meagher.
- He left Lakeside in 1983 due to budget cuts and moved to Old Dominion Aquatic Club in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1984. There he advised and coached and mentored Mike Powell as an assistant, while guiding Meagher as she prepared for the 1988 Olympics. Under Peak, Meagher won key races and qualified for a third Olympics, later winning medals in Seoul. Peak also coached Kathy Arris and Darby Chang at Old Dominion.
- Trinity Aquatics and Trinity Prep School in Orlando, Florida (1995–1996). He trained Mirjana Bosevska, who became a 1996 Atlanta Olympian and later competed in Sydney, representing Macedonia.

Honors:
- Inducted into the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2007.

Death:
- After a three-year struggle with cancer, Peak died December 23, 1996, in Orlando, Florida, at age 51. He was survived by his wife, Diane, a daughter, and two sons.