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Veteran Swimming Coach Eddie Reese Leads The No. 8 Ranked Longhorns

Reese Also Honored By USA Swimming As Coach Of The Year In November

One of the finest collegiate coaches in the nation - across all sports - is University of Texas veteran men’s swimming head coach Eddie Reese.

Over the last five years, his Longhorns have made remarkable achievements, claiming the NCAA National Championships three times - earning the national crown in 2000, 2001 and 2002. The last two years, UT was runner-up at the 2003 NCAAs and placed third in 2004.

In addition to leading Texas, Reese did a tremendous job this past summer as the USA Olympic men’s swimming head coach, as his male swimmers stole the headlines and highlighted the USA’s achievements at the Athens Summer Olympics.

And, for his efforts, Reese was honored by USA Swimming as Coach of the Year at the Inaugural  Golden Goggles in New York City on Monday, November 15.

The Golden Goggles  Coach of the Year Award is named after the late James Edward ‘Doc’ Counsilman, who coached Indiana University to six NCAA Championships  (1968-73), coached two U.S. men’s Olympic teams (1964 and ‘76) and  is considered one of the greatest innovators in the sport of swimming.

The Golden Goggle Awards celebrated swimming’s 2004 accomplishments while raising money for the newly formed USA Swimming Foundation, the organization’s fundraising arm. The Coach of the Year Award was one of 10 total honors presented at the sold-out gala at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on November 15.

“It was totally unexpected, but it is a great honor to receive the award and I feel truly blessed to be given any award that has Doc Counsilman’s name on it,” said Reese.

Serving his second stint as U.S. Olympic men’s head coach at the 2004 Athens Games, Reese guided his men’s team to 18 medals – the  most by any men’s team since countries were restricted to only two  swimmers per event (1984) - including nine gold medals, which also  tied them with the 1984 squad for the most in two decades. The U.S.  men captured at least one medal in every event and were highlighted  by a number of performances, none more historic than Michael Phelps  and his six-gold, two-bronze performance, as Phelps was the first swimmer ever to medal in eight events.

Reese, who had previously worked as an assistant coach for the U.S. men three times (1988 - Seoul, 1996 - Atlanta,  and 2000 - Sydney) boasted seven former Longhorns – equivalent to one-third of the entire  team – who earned spots on the 2004 U.S. men’s roster. Ian Crocker, Nate Dusing, Scott Goldblatt, Gary Hall, Jr., Brendan Hansen, Aaron Peirsol and Neil Walker all competed and each earned one Olympic gold medal in Athens.

The 2004 Golden Goggle Coach of the Year Award is the latest in a long and distinguished list of individual accolades for Reese. Most recently in 2002, Reese was elected as an honor coach and inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He is a 1996 inductee into the Longhorn Hall of Honor, which recognizes former athletes, coaches and staff members “who have brought honor and renown to The University of Texas.”

At the NCAA level, Reese has been honored as NCAA Coach of the Year eight times and has guided his Texas teams to nine NCAA titles, including the three national championships mentioned above.

Entering January’s competition, the Texas Longhorns are ranked No. 8 nationally. Below is the remaining schedule for the swim squad. All home meets are held at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center (TSC), located on the UT campus on the corner of Martin Luther King and San Jacinto on the southeast corner of the UT campus.

Spectators should plan to park in one of the three parking garages near the
Center. The rate is $7 per day. After 5:45 pm and on weekends, parking may be available in Lot 80 just east of the TSC. For more information on Texas swimming and the Jamail Swim Center, please go to
www.TexasSports.com and http://www.tsc.utexas.edu/.

Texas Men’s Swimming & Diving Remaining Schedule
(all times Central; All home meets held at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center)

DECEMBER
Thu.-Sat. 2-4 - TEXAS INVITATIONAL (AUSTIN, TEXAS) - all day

JANUARY
Thu. 13 - at Auburn (Auburn, Ala.)    - TBA

Sat. 15 - at Georgia (Athens, Ga.)    - TBA

Fri-Sat. 28-29 - Arizona & Arizona State (Austin, Texas) TBA
 
FEBRUARY
Fri-Sat. 4-5    - SMU & Texas A&M - TBA
(State Farm Lone Star Showdown) -Austin, Texas

Thu-Sat. 24-26 - at Big 12 Championships - 10 a.m./6 p.m.
(Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas)

MARCH
Fri-Sun. 11-13 - at NCAA Zone D Diving Championships - All Day
(Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas)

Thu-Sat. 24-26 - at NCAA National Championships - All Day
(Minneapolis, Minn.)