3 Reasons Why Eddie Reese Won His 11th NCAA Title

Eddie Reese Texas
Photo Courtesy: Taylor Brien

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Commentary by Chuck Warner

Tonight Eddie Reese tied Mike Peppe for the most men’s NCAA team championships in history, holding his 11th team trophy in 34 years in a coaching career that has spanned more than a half century. Including the 11 wins, his teams have finished in the top three 28 times in one of the sport’s most intense competitive arena.

Why is Coach Reese so good at what he does? The most succinct answer is probably: “how he ties his shoes.”

A student in the clergy was once selected to represent his class with a visit to a Master. This student asked his friends for their opinions on what questions he should ask, and received many suggestions. After filtering through all their advice, he told his classmates: “I am going to see how he ties his shoes.”

The fortunate student understood that what made the Master so unique, effective and wise was the small details of the way he conducted himself, even tying his shoes. There isn’t one big trait that is special about Coach Reese, but many small ones – the most powerful of which are love and passion. Here are three examples:

Eddie Reese loves people. He loves to help others laugh, and laughs with them. He breathes them in and breaths them out, and like air, his interactions with most people energize him. And because he gives people joy and respect, he attracts young men to swim for him that treat him, and others, the same way.

Eddie Reese and Texas President

Photo Courtesy: Taylor Brien

Eddie Reese loves the sport. Eddie enjoys the complexities of preparing individuals to swim fast, as well as finding and developing young people to progress in the sport and in life after their final races.

Eddie Reese and Will Licon

Photo Courtesy: Taylor O’Brien

Eddie Reese has a passion for creativity. The self-described “intuitive coach” is always searching for new ideas, and a different and better way for his swimmers to get faster. Because of this passion, he has been able to stay at the cutting edge of a dynamic sport with the ability to adjust and improve in his long coaching career.

For example, this year he says his swimmers started every practice (after warm-up) with a dolphin kick set. The results showed up in that 100 butterfly final, where six of eight swimmers wore a cap with the Texas Longhorn symbol on it, and went on to take the top four places.

Watch the rest of the world follow his lead on placing the value of dolphin kicking even higher and continue to get faster.

Is success easy? Nope. As Edwin C. Reese likes to say, “If it was easy, everyone would do it.” In his first season at Texas in (1978-79), he had to change the team’s culture and while not known to rule by anger very often, he finished a tongue lashing to his inherited charges with a terse, “I am prepared to lose anyone but me!”

The team finished 21st that year. The Longhorns were second the next year, and first the following year.

Wasn’t the consensus that the Texas program looked like it was finally falling from the elite college swimming teams when they finished fifth at the 2013 NCAAs? Flash forward two years, and the 2015 team is one of the very best in the coach’s history.

The greatest proof of Reese’s care in “how he ties his shoes” is in his family relationships. Those are not only with his children and grandchildren, but also the boys he coaches to be young men with his longtime sidekick Kris Kubik.

His most important family member however is his wife, Elinor, who describes herself as the “President of the Eddie Reese Fan Club.” As he does at the end of every meet, the Reeses will end the meet hand in hand after Eddie spends a long time shaking hands with teammates and peers. The rest of us just get to be members of “The Eddie Reese Fan Club,” a great honor when you watch how the man ties his shoes.

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Bill Bell
8 years ago

He did a great recruiting job f selling Texas to guys like Schooling, Conger, Licon et al and an even better job of developing them. Signs were there last season but this year it all came together, But that’s a coach’s job, develop what ya’ got — and Eddie’s the maestro to end all maestros. The John Wooden of college swimming. And unlike certain other coaches I could name hecdoes it almost exclusively by relying on home-grown talent.

No foreign legion for him!

Congratulations, Eddie, I though you wuz washed up, over-the-hill and headed to thatb great Texas Swim Center in the sky.

Shows what I know,

Gordy Westerberg
Gordy Westerberg
8 years ago
Reply to  Bill Bell

The only part that I think people have overlooked in all of this talk about how great Eddie is…and he has been successful in the 80s, 90s, 2000s, and again in 2010s (didn’t know quite how to phrase this decade?)…is to just think about how much the athletes AND parents have changed over those decades! Then you truly understand how awesome he really is! Most elite coaches have stretches of 20-25 years of success, but then their “method” finally ends up being ineffective…that’s why Eddie doesn’t have equals in this profession.

Eddie, you deserve every bit of the recognition that you’re getting now!!!!!

Scott Baker
8 years ago

Congrats Coach Reese!

Bill Thompson
Bill Thompson
8 years ago

Well written, accurate tribute to an all-time gentleman and his partners. I so enjoyed watching Kris and Eddie move about the meet venue caring for the team and each individual with their faces showing only tension free smiles of joy. I’m happy to be a life member of the Eddie Reese Fan Club.

J.S. Gainey
8 years ago

Amazing coach and person!

Frank Comfort
Frank Comfort
8 years ago

Another brick in the wall by a master coach….congratulations!….& he has always been just as described in the above article…. creative, caring ,smart, etc.

Coco Pazzo
Coco Pazzo
8 years ago

Supposedly the great UCLA basketball coach began every season with instruction to his players on how to tie their shoes. Details matter. Even the smallest ones.

Coco Pazzo
Coco Pazzo
8 years ago
Reply to  Coco Pazzo

Sorry, left out his name: John Wooden.

Seth Baron
Seth Baron
8 years ago

MAZEL TOV!
Great Man – Great Coach!
Fantastic Ambassador for Swimming around the world!

Raymond Woods
Raymond Woods
8 years ago

Simply the best ever, and for a long time too come.

Dana Abbott
Dana Abbott
8 years ago

Excellent commentary, Chuck. And you and I (and Scott Hammond) know very well what those first couple of years of foundation-building were like. Your recollections of some of our key moments back then instantly transported me back. What memories, what fantastic days they were, and what fantastic days since, even with the trials and tribulations that occasionally tried to crop up. We were indeed blessed to have witnessed and been a small part of what followed. I can still remember every one of those 55 young men we had that first year, and so many practices and meets. And shenanigans. How much more exciting it would have been to be able to see the future. We couldn’t, but I think Eddie could. Caring about small details (“There are no small mistakes”-ECR) and doing what’s right (see your reference about anger above) has never been a chore for Eddie. It’s just the way he is. DKR hired the right man. Hook ‘Em! \m/

Nancy Loveless Hinrichs

Some amazing swims from some amazing swimmers who have an amazing coach!

Paul Murphy
Paul Murphy
8 years ago

Has always been my “go too” in coaching!

Steffen Deibler
8 years ago

Bastian

Wayne Goldsmith
8 years ago

Outstanding human being – outstanding coach. Gives selflessly to anyone who asks. Committed, dedicated, humble. What the rest of us aspire to be.

WG

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