Neal Rowe was the first head coach for the swimming and diving program at TCR - founding the program in its inaugural season during the 1983-1984 school year. Rowe created connections with local business owners to secure donations for lane ropes, starting blocks, awards, a record board, as well as a timing system and scoreboard. TCR became the routine host of Friday night meets (later moved to Saturdays) that encouraged tremendous growth in the number of schools in the region fielding teams in Swimming and Diving.

Prior to recognition as a conference sport, the informal Mountain Area Swimming Conference held championships each season. TCR won both girls' and boys' titles for the three years it was held: 1985, 1986, 1987.

The 1987-88 school year would be the first as a conference sport. Coach Rowe led TCR to WAC titles for both boys and girls in the inaugural year, and began a string of three straight titles for the boys.

For his 16-year stint as head coach, Rowe marked an over 85% combined winning percentage including an outstanding 1989 season which saw the girls team finish the regular season at 88-1. (That loss would be avenged when the girls' team beat Dobyns-Bennett in a tri meet with Brevard one month later.) In the 1996 State Championships both the boys and girls teams notched 3rd place finishes.

During Rowe's tenure, Roberson swimmers earned 5 individual state titles setting 2 state records, 8 team conference titles, 19 Academic All-America Honors, and 2 All-America Honors. NISCA (National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association) twice ranked Rowe's teams in the national top 25 for their class.

Rowe passed away, on 22 December, 2024 aged 83, and was remembered in a small local service. Interment will be in Rowe's hometown of Chicago, Illinois on 13 January, 2025.