Eddie Reese

Last updated

Eddie Reese
Eddie Reese 1.jpg
Reese at 68 in May, 2010
Current position
Title Head Coach
Team Texas
Conference Big 12
Biographical details
Born (1941-07-23) July 23, 1941 (age 83)
Daytona Beach, Florida
Playing career
1961–1963 Florida
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1967–1972 Florida (Asst.)
1973–1978 Auburn
1978–2024 Texas
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
SEC Championships (44) [1]
NCAA Championships (1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021)
Awards
CSCAA Coach of the Year
University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame
Longhorn Hall of Honor
International Swimming Hall of Fame

Edwin Charles Reese (born July 23, 1941) is a Hall of Fame American college and Olympic swimming coach, and a former college swimmer for the University of Florida. Reese won 15 NCAA team championships as the head coach of the University of Texas at Austin men's swimming and diving team from 1978 until retiring in 2024, having previously served as the men's head coach at Auburn University from 1973–1978.

Contents

He served with the United States' Olympic Swimming Team in 2004 and 2008, and was an assistant coach at the 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2012 Summer Olympics. He is the winningest swim coach in history and is the only collegiate swim coach to win NCAA national team titles in five separate decades. He is widely regarded by many swimming historians as the greatest swim coach in history.

Early years

Reese was born in Daytona Beach, Florida in 1941. He attended Mainland High School in Daytona Beach and swam for the Mainland Buccaneers high school swim team, winning two state high school championships in the 200-yard individual medley swimming event.

He then enrolled in the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he swam for coach Buddy Crone and coach Bill Harlan's Florida Gators swimming and diving teams, leading the Gators to three consecutive Southeastern Conference (SEC) team championships (1961, 1962, 1963). As the team's senior co-captain, Reese became the first Florida swimmer to win five SEC individual titles in a single season — the 200-yard breaststroke, the 200-yard and 400-yard individual medleys, the 400-yard freestyle relay and the 400-yard medley relay.

Reese graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1963.

Coaching career

Reese c. 1988 Eddie Reese 1988.jpg
Reese c. 1988

After Reese graduated from Florida, he remained in Gainesville as a graduate assistant coach and earned his master's degree from Florida in 1965. Reese then coached and taught at Roswell High School in Roswell, New Mexico for one year (1965–1966), before returning to the University of Florida as an assistant coach for six seasons (1967–1972).

Reese became the head coach of the Auburn Tigers swim team at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama in 1972, leading the Tigers for six seasons (1973–1978). The Tigers were a team that had not qualified a single swimmer for the finals or consolation finals of the SEC championship meet during the previous season. After six seasons, Auburn had produced four consecutive top-ten showings at the NCAA championships, and in his final season at Auburn, the Tigers placed second in the SEC and NCAA championships, the highest finish in program history to that time.

In 1978, Reese accepted the head coaching position for the Texas Longhorns men's swimming and diving team of the University of Texas in Austin, Texas. Since that time, his Longhorns team have won 15 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) team championships (1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021), and he has been named CSCAA Coach of the Year eight times. Starting with his second year at Texas, his teams have won the conference championship every season (44 in a row as of 2023). [2] Reese has coached numerous current and former world record holders. Some of his notable swimmers include Ian Crocker, Rick Carey, Brendan Hansen, Neil Walker, Ricky Berens, Josh Davis, Dave Walters, Garrett Weber-Gale, Eric Shanteau, Scott Spann, Aaron Peirsol, Jack Conger, Clark Smith, Townley Haas, Will Licon, Joseph Schooling, Drew Kibler, Caspar Corbeau, and Carson Foster. From to 1986 through 2016, Reese coached Texas with Associate Coach Kris Kubik, a former All American swimmer at North Carolina State who excelled in backstroke. Kubik also worked as a student coach with Reese between 1979-1981. [3]

Honors and awards

Reese was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1988, [4] [5] and the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) as an "Honor Coach" in 2002. [6] His brother, Randy Reese, who is also a university and Olympic swimming coach, was inducted in 2005. [7] Reese is also a member of the Longhorn Hall of Honor.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Quick</span> American swimming coach

Richard Walter Quick was a Hall of Fame head coach for the women's swim teams at the University of Texas from 1982 through 1988 and at Stanford University, from 1988 through 2005. In an unprecedented achievement, Quick's Women's teams at Texas and Stanford won a combined 12 NCAA National championships, with his Men and Women's team at Auburn winning his final championship in 2009. His teams won a combined 22 Conference championships. He was a coach for the United States Olympic swimming team for six Olympics—1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004.

Anthony Conrad Nesty is a former competition swimmer from Suriname who was an Olympic gold medallist in the 100-metre butterfly event in 1988. He is currently the head coach of the Florida Gators men's and women's swim team at the University of Florida, where he attended school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Heath (swimmer)</span> American swimmer

Michael Steward Heath is an American former competition swimmer who specialized in freestyle events. He is a three-time Olympic gold medalist, and a former world record-holder in two relay swimming events. A native of Texas, he won two national collegiate championship competing for the University of Florida. During his elite swimming career, Heath won ten medals in major international championships, including seven golds, two silvers and a bronze, spanning the Olympic Games, FINA World Championships, and Pan Pacific Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tracy Caulkins</span> American swimmer (born 1963)

Tracy Anne Stockwell, OAM,, née Tracy Anne Caulkins, is an American former competition swimmer, three-time Olympic gold medalist, five-time world champion, and former world record-holder in three events.

Jane Louise Kerr Thompson, née Jane Louise Kerr, is a former competition swimmer from Canada. Kerr was a butterfly and freestyle specialist who was an Olympic bronze medallist.

Nicole Lee Haislett is an American former competitive swimmer who was a three-time Olympic gold medalist, a former world and American record-holder, and an eight-time American national college champion. During her international swimming career, Haislett won twenty-two medals in major international championships, including fourteen golds.

Alexander Timothy McKee is an American former competition swimmer and three-time Olympic silver medalist. He was a successful medley and backstroke swimmer, and is often remembered for being a part of the closest Olympic swimming finish in history and the resulting rule changes regarding the timing of international swimming events.

Martín López-Zubero Purcell, also known as Martin Zubero, is a former competition swimmer and Olympic gold medalist. López-Zubero was born in the United States, swam in international competition for Spain, and holds dual Spanish-American citizenship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Wayte</span> American swimmer (born 1965)

Mary Alice Bradburne is an American former competition swimmer, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and television sports commentator. During her international swimming career, Wayte won ten medals in major international championships, including four golds.

Whitney Lynn Hedgepeth is an American former competition swimmer who won a gold and two silver medals at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Theresa Andrews is an American former competitive swimmer and Olympic champion. Raised in Maryland, Andrews gained prominence as a national collegiate champion when competing for the University of Florida. In international competition, she was a backstroke specialist who won two gold medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auburn Tigers swimming and diving</span> Swimming and diving program for Auburn University

The Auburn Tigers swimming and diving program is Auburn University's representative in the sport of swimming and diving. The Tigers compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 and are members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The program started in 1932 when the pool was in the basement of the gymnasium. The program had to telegraph their timed results to other schools and compare as the pool was too small for competitions.

David Erwin Larson is an American former competition swimmer who is an Olympic gold medalist and former world record-holder. Larson is a Georgia native who became an All-American college swimmer for the University of Florida. He was known for his success as a member of American relay teams in international competition at the Pan American Games and the Olympics – and for setting two world records in the 4×200-meter relay event on the same day at the 1984 Olympics.

Geoffrey Steven Gaberino is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, and former world record-holder. Gaberino was a member of two national championship college teams and a four-time college national champion in relay events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Walters (swimmer)</span> American swimmer

David Walters, also known as Dave Walters, is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, and world record-holder in the 4x200 meter freestyler relay. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Walters earned a gold medal by swimming in the heats of the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. As part of the American team, he also formerly held the world record in the 4×100-meter medley relay. Walters is also a seven-time medalist at the World Aquatics Championships.

Scott Spann Jr. is a former American competition swimmer and Pan American Games medalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy Reese</span> American swimming coach

Randy Reese is an American college and Olympic swimming coach. Reese is best known for coaching the Florida Gators swimming and diving teams of the University of Florida to four national championships, and coaching the winners of eighteen Olympic gold, eight silver and eight bronze medals. Reese is a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Tami Lee Bruce is an American former competition swimmer who represented the United States in two freestyle events at the 1988 Summer Olympics.

Patrick David Kennedy is an American former competition swimmer who specialized in butterfly and individual medley events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kris Kubik</span> Associate head swimming coach for the University of Texas

Kris Kubik was an All-American competitive swimmer for North Carolina State and Auburn University and the Associate Head swimming coach for the University of Texas under Head Coach Eddie Reese. In his thirty-four year tenure coaching swimming at the University of Texas at Austin from 1979 to 1981, and 1986 through 2016, he helped lead the Longhorns to 12 NCAA National team Championships, claiming titles in successive years for the 1989–91, 2000–02, and 2015–2016 seasons.

References

  1. "Sutherland, James, 22 Sept 2023, Coaching Legend Eddie Reese to Retire after 2024 Olympic Trials". swimswam.com. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  2. "Smith topples school, league records at Big 12 Championships". University of Texas. February 27, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  3. "Texas Sports Hall of Fame, Kris Kubik". Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
  4. F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  5. "Lindy Infante among seven Florida athletic honorees," The Gainesville Sun, p. 5C (April 6, 1988). Retrieved July 23, 2011.
  6. "Eddie Reese (USA)". ISHOF.org. International Swimming Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
  7. "Randy Reese (USA)". ISHOF.org. International Swimming Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. Retrieved July 23, 2011.