Reese named finalist for USOC Coach of the Year
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- For the second year in a row, Texas men's swimming and diving head coach Eddie Reese was named one of five finalists by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) for its 2006 Coach of the Year Award on Wednesday. The award will be announced June 23 during the U.S. Olympic Assembly in La Jolla, Calif. Finalists for the USOC National Coach of the Year are Mike Candrea (Tucson, Ariz./USA Softball), Gail Goestenkors (Hillsborough, N.C./USA Basketball), David Johnson (Colorado Springs, Colo./USA Shooting), Bobby Kersee (Ballwin, Mo./USA Track & Field) and Reese (Austin, Texas/USA Swimming). "It's an honor to be nominated with all the great coaches working with our U.S. National teams today," said Reese. "I am surprised and appreciate being recognized by the United State Olympic Committee. "An award like this is given to a coach when he has great athletes around him and works with them to produce great results. To be successful, an athlete must trust the coach and vice-versa. Being nominated means I am headed in the right direction." Reese had seven of his swimmers; UT alumni Aaron Peirsol, Ian Crocker, Brendan Hansen, Neil Walker, Nate Dusing and current Texas team members Garrett Weber-Gale and Matt McGinnis, swim on the 2005 U.S. World Championships Team. These swimmers accounted for nine medals at the World Championships (eight gold and one silver), with six of the medals coming in individual events and three in relays. He also saw his athletes combine to break three world records in 2005, with Aaron Peirsol surpassing his own marks in the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke and Ian Crocker snapping his own 100-meter butterfly record. The longtime UT head coach took home four separate coaching awards in 2005-06. Reese was named the American Swimming Coaching Association (ASCA) Coach of the Year for the second-straight year as well as USA Swimming Coach of the Year and the World Swimming Coaches Association's 2005 Terao Award winner, naming him the coach of the 2001-2004 quadrennium. Most recently, Reese was named the 2006 Big 12 Male Swimming Coach of the Year after leading the Longhorns to the league title and a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. The 2006 season marked Reese's 27th consecutive top seven NCAA finish and eighth consecutive Big 12 title.
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