Earl Ellis Retires After 30 Years At UW

SEATTLE, WA – University of Washington swim coach Earl Ellis retires after a successful 30-year tenure with the Huskies. Ellis shares the distinction of having the longest tenure of any current coach on the UW staff with track and field assistant Ken Shannon.

Ellis took charge of the UW men’s team in 1970 after serving as an assistant for one year, compiling a 215-45 (.827) dual meet record. He has coached the women’s team since its inception in 1976, finishing at 206-29-2 (.873). This season, the men’s team finished at 6-3 in dual meet competition and sixth in the Pac-10 Championships, while the women were 11-3 head to head and seventh in the conference meet.

Ellis has tutored standout swimmers throughout his tenure on the Montlake campus. He has trained seven Olympians, three of whom were medalists, and six national champions. This season, he guided junior school record holder Addy Elsner to her third straight trip to the NCAA Championships, where she competed in the 200 IM and the 100 and 200 backstrokes. He also helped Brent Nordyke qualify for NCAAs for the second time in 1997 in the 200 and 400 IM and the 200 breaststroke.

Ellis was recognized as the Pacific-10 Women’s Coach of the Year for his efforts during the 1992-93 season. The women’s team posted a 13-2 record that year and finished seventh in the Pac-10 Championships.

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