Yale Men’s Head Coach Tim Wise Steps Down

Tim Wise, who has served as the Robert J.H. Kiphuth Director of Yale Men’s Swimming & Diving the last seven years, stepped down from his position today.

Wise, who was an assistant coach before taking the head job, enjoyed much success at Yale, including numerous broken records, top-four team Ivy League Championship finishes and individual swimming honors.

“After almost two decades at Yale I have made the decision to resign from my position of head coach of men’s swimming and diving. For 19 years I have been fortunate to work alongside some of the most talented and dedicated coaches in their respective fields and I am a better man as a result of those relationships,” said Wise.

Under Wise, the Bulldogs also enjoyed great academic success. They posted the best grade-point average in the country in seven of the last nine semesters, including six straight at one point.

“One of the goals of the Yale athletic department is to provide the Yale students with a first-class athletic experience and I feel fortunate to have worked with so many exceptional student – athletes. I thank those swimmers and divers for their hard work and dedication, as well as inviting me into their lives and forming lasting friendships,” said Wise, the 2008 Connecticut Swimming Senior Coach of the Year.

Alex Righi ’09 became one of the most decorated swimmers in Yale history under Wise’s guidance. Righi, an 11-time All-American, won the Moriarty Trophy as the Swimmer of the Meet at the Ivy League Championships three times and finished second in both the 50 and 100 freestyles at the NCAA Championships as a junior and tied the American record in the 50 freestyle as a senior.

“I owe a big debt of gratitude to Frank Keefe (former Yale head coach) for giving me the opportunity to come to Yale, and to Tom Beckett (Yale’s Director of Athletics) for allowing me to lead the program for the past seven years. I also owe tremendous thanks to my wife, and my kids, for sharing their husband and father for all the time that a career in coaching demands,” said Wise.

During his tenure as an assistant to Keefe, Wise helped Yale swimmers set 22 university records and win 16 individual and two relay Ivy League Championship titles. In addition, two of his swimmers competed at the 2008 United States Olympic Trials. Wise was responsible for the sprinters starting in 2004, and they accounted for more than 50 percent of Yale’s points at the Ivy League Championships during his time coaching them.

“One of the things I always tried to impart upon my swimmers was that whenever it was time for someone to leave Yale swimming they had an obligation and a responsibility to leave the program in a better place than they found it. I feel confident that Yale Swimming is in a better place today and leave grateful for the wonderful opportunities that Yale provided me and my family,” said Wise.

“On behalf of the entire athletics department, I’d like to thank Tim for his many contributions to the Yale community and to the program he has led for the last seven years. We are most grateful for all of his efforts to bring exceptional student-athletes to the Yale community to be part of the Yale Swimming & Diving program,” said Beckett.

Press release courtesy of Yale Athletics.

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Hurtwood smith

7 years ago

Why did he resign?