The Integration & Quantum Influence of Eddie Reese

Photo Courtesy: Ken Quarterman

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By Chuck Warner, with Dana Abbott & Scott Hammond

Many consider John Wooden, the UCLA basketball coach who won 10 NCAA team basketball titles in 12 years, to be the greatest coach of any sport of all time. He is one of the rare individuals whose achievements at the pinnacle of a sport are matched with his ability to influence lives. Eddie Reese’s 12th NCAA Men’s Swimming title justifies the comparison of the two, as among the very best there has ever been.

One of the key traits that the two coaches clearly share is the Integration of the Spiritual with the Material, or more simply put, Integrity. Unknown to many is that Wooden, born and raised in Indiana, applied for coaching jobs not just in the midwest, but also in Los Angeles. The Hall of Fame player preferred to raise his family near his midwestern roots but his integrity led him to UCLA. On an appointed night, Wooden expected to hear from the University of Minnesota athletic director and then UCLA. A snowstorm prevented the Minnesota AD from calling him to offer their head coaching position at the prearranged time. Meanwhile, UCLA called and Wooden, needing a job, accepted.

When Minnesota called later, Wooden, without a signed contract, turned them down since he had given his word to UCLA. He moved his family to California and began working in an outdated gym, and much to his dismay, realized that his actual contract meant that the student council served as more of a employer than the athletic department.

For 15 years at UCLA Wooden struggled but still never lost his prioritization of his Spiritual values over his Material desires. He integrated the two in his craft of teaching and coaching basketball . . . and throughout that process, life. His famous “Pyramid of Success” posts in his top two tiers “Faith” and “Integrity”, the latter of which he defines as “Purity of Intentions.” Finally, he began to win and win like no college coach ever has before or since.

Eddie Reese shares similar values of family, faith, and kindness. A search for a home in Austin almost 40 years ago prioritized the location of the parents’ bedroom door opening so he could see the bedroom door across the hall of his two daughters, Holly and Heather. When other opportunities tempted him to consider what wasn’t perfect at UT, family kept him there. He openly shares the light that his wife Elinor has shown on his Spirit-guided path from experiences including working with Mother Teresa.

Long time Executive Director of the American Swimming Coaches Association John Leonard once asked, “Does Eddie just recruit respectful young men, or does he produce them?”

Just like Wooden, Eddie Reese has blazed a trail that attracts a certain type of young man, or young coach, to join him and emulate what he represents. Coach Wooden rather famously is noted for once meeting with a recruit in the young man’s family’s living room. When the athlete showed disrespect for his parents, Wooden stood up, excused himself and said, “I’m no longer recruiting your son.”

Wooden, like Reese, could note the personal as well as the athletic strengths of young men, and respect for others is one of them. But people like these two also model “Integration of Spirit and Material” in a way that their athletes and assistant coaches aspire to. To put it simply, if you’re around Eddie Reese enough, you seek similar qualities in yourself and tend to shift yourself toward them as best you can. And then they seem to be passed on again.

Since the first Texas title in 1981 to today, the names have changed from Spann to Licon, from Paulus to Schooling, and from Kirchner to Haas but their words sound much the same.

“I am so lucky to have the support of great teammates,” said UT’s newest sensation, Townley Haas after his 1:30.46 200 freestyle milestone. “It’s an honor to train with Clark Smith.”

The “Material” or human demonstration of the impact Eddie has made on his ‘guys’ through an approach of ‘if it was easy, everyone would do it’ can be shown in the now record-tying 12 NCAA Men’s Team Championships. But look a little deeper and we also see 11 runner-up teams, and 29 in the top three . . . all the Olympic athletes . . . and look deeper still and we see the “Quantum Influence” of his work.

His right-hand man for most of these years, Kris Kubik, creates an extension of Eddie’s values in creating relationships of respect, dignity and joy. Kris started with Eddie at Auburn and then moved to Texas in 1978 when Eddie made the move. Now a renowned coach in his own right, Kris extends the training process and athlete care that Eddie has initiated.

Extrapolating beyond Kris a little further to consider the “Quantum Influence” of Coach Reese’s work came up when we, the three authors and assistant coaches in the 1978-80 time frame with Kris (and the late great Stewart Rae) took a look at the impact that Eddie had on us and started a path that led us to becoming presidents of the ASCA, CSCAA, and NISCA. Our intended osmosis of those Reese qualities perhaps has had a very small touch on each of the coaches or athletes that we’ve worked with throughout the last 35 years. Looking back at those coaches and swimmers that we worked together with a year or more, we can marvel at what THEY and the athletes THEY coached have accomplished.

From the collection of work from names like Coaches Bashor, Bowman, Converse, Erlenbach, Hopkins, Holloway, Skinner in addition to our own, we see scores of championship teams from College Conferences, National YMCA, to NCAA II and I, and international medals that include close to 30 Olympic gold medals. (Thanks to Bowman and Phelps for boosting that count!)

Then begin to add in all of Eddie’s swimmers that went on to coach with names like Crossett, Dickson, Looze, Hansen, Henry, Kirchner, Lawrence, etc. and the magnitude of the trickle effect of Reese’s Integration begins to be recognized. Add to that all his work in clinics and camps and his broad positive effect on the sport becomes more evident.

Pictured at the top is one of the inspirations for this story. The February photo of the lineage here bears explanation. Ken Quarterman began his college career at UT but encountered some setbacks in completing his studies throughout four years there. Ken then refocused his life and found another home with an element of the Spiritual and Material and steered the course effectively to become a proud father and family leader. This February, he was back in Austin with his sons creating some osmosis for yet another generation from Reese onward.

Even the greatest leaders of Spirit in history such as Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, Ghandi, Teresa, and King had their humanity, their faults, and their weaknesses. They didn’t change our lives and neither have those of sports leaders like John Wooden or Eddie Reese. But what they have all done is provide a model, or a seed in our consciousness, to change our own.

Eddie isn’t the only model swim coach to ever walk a pool deck. But football coach Bum Phillips famously said of famed Longhorn running back Earl Campbell that which could also be said of Coach Reese, “He may not be in a class by himself, but it sure doesn’t take long to call roll.”

Eddie is simply one of the best coaches in the history of any sport, at any level.

Eddie noted the visit by the Quarterman boys and joked, “An old recruit, with two new ones.”

You have to wonder if he does mean to be on the deck another 6 years to bring those words to fruition. If he does, that would mean the Quantum Influence of his personal Integration would carry further . . . which will make us all better off.

Edwin Charles Reese, congratulations on a record-setting #12. But most especially, thank you for the Quantum Influence on so many people in the sport of swimming.

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J.S. Gainey

8 years ago

AMEN!

J Hinton

8 years ago

The article wa sso good until it stated Jesus had his faults and weaknesses. Jesus lived a sinless life and had no weaknesses. The spiritual life you refer to about Reese is that he is a Christian and believes that Jesus is Lord and Savior. None of those other leaders mentioned even come close, nor will anyone. Ever.

Chuck Warner

8 years ago

Reply to J Hinton

Thanks for taking the time to read and for your thoughtful comment J Hinton. While we may not agree on all aspects of the life of the world’s greatest Quantum Influence, I hope one day we’ll have the chance to discuss it. In the meantime, enjoy a wonderful Easter and the reminder of life eternal.

Boris Jezic

8 years ago

Look a little deeper and we also see 11 runner-up teams, and 29 in the top three…what a legacy.

S Stovall

8 years ago

I agree with J Hinton and I will add that Jesus has indeed changed my life…and so has John wooden.