After U-Turn on Retirement, Eddie Reese on Deck Of NCAA Champs Is Perfect Sight

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After U-Turn on Retirement, Eddie Reese on Deck Of NCAA Champs Is Perfect Sight

The original plan had him gone – although not forgotten. A legend of his ilk will always have an influence, an impact that endures. But when a certain Hall of Fame coach announced his retirement from the University of Texas late last March, the 2022 edition of the NCAA Championships figured to have a different look. An unusual feel. A missing man in Burnt Orange.

One day, indeed, that scenario will be a reality.

But for now, and until he decides otherwise, Eddie Reese continues at the helm of the Texas program, doing what he does best. Molding young men. Demanding hard work. And producing championship-chasing squads. His July decision to cancel retirement was an obvious positive development for the Longhorns, as they retained the guidance of an all-timer. It can also be said that Reese’s reversal was a boon for the sport, this 80-year-old continuing to impart his wisdom and sense of humor, while simultaneously churning out elite performers.

There are two days remaining in the NCAA Championships at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta. Certainly, much can – and will – change by Saturday night. There will be moments of elation and moments of disappointment. Yet, through two days, Texas sits atop the team standings, a 16th NCAA championship within reach, and with Reese steering.

Could it be any other way?

In the 40-plus years in which Reese has been in command of the Texas controls, he has led teams to victories in several ways. Stars have powered the Longhorns. Depth has gotten the job done. Most frequently, a combination of those two elements has led to hardware-raising celebrations, and that setup is what this current roster features.

As Reese embarked on retirement last year, the decision seemed appropriate. The multi-time Olympic coach was having some mobility issues and with his octogenarian decade approaching, the time seemed right. Soon enough, though, work with a trainer had Reese feeling reinvigorated, and debating his call to walk away. Eventually, Texas Athletics Director Chris Del Conte revealed that Reese was coming back, and the coach noted that unfinished business remained.

“There’s more that I want to do for this current team,” Reese said of his unretirement. “We have a great group of guys in our program. They have a great future in the sport, and I want to help them be as good as they can be.”

En route to building a 21-point lead over Florida and a 22-point edge over California, its rival for the past decade, Texas sent six athletes into championship finals on Thursday night – two each in the 500 freestyle, 200 individual medley and 50 freestyle. No other team could match that potency, which followed an opening night in which the ‘Horns won the 800 freestyle relay and finished as runnerup in the 200 medley relay. For good measure, Texas wrapped up Night Two with a third-place finish in the 200 freestyle relay, a mark of 1:14.41 a school record.

The effort put together by the Longhorns suggests more big things for the weekend. It also means on-call status for the tailor charged with the production of Texas title banners.

For years, Reese has cracked the combination to the NCAA-title safe, and that includes managing his allotment of scholarships and roster positions. The approach has included paying awareness to the name of the year-end meet: NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships. Year after year, and thanks to the coaching skill of Matt Scoggin, Texas divers have contributed critical points toward title runs. And while diving will almost surely play a factor for the Longhorns between the three-meter springboard and platform competitions over the next two days, Texas went scoreless on the one-meter board on Thursday.

No worries.

Reese’s legacy in the sport has been long established, his presence felt at the international, national, and collegiate levels. So, when Reese temporarily entered retirement, there were mixed feelings. As someone whose name is uttered alongside those of icons Robert Kiphuth and Doc Counsilman, he deeply deserved to leave on his terms – and after fittingly winning another NCAA crown. The selfish side? Damn. No more Eddie Reese is hard to accept.

Sure, Reese was expected to be around the pool deck during retirement, having been handed coaching emeritus status by school officials. But having him still be the guy makes sense for a program synonymous with his name. And having someone around who fully comprehends his role and impact, and views himself as a beneficiary, is perfect.

“The thing I got most out of coaching swimming has nothing to do with winning or trophies or anything like that,” Reese said before his change of heart. “It all has to do with interpersonal relationships. Coaches are in a great position that I love because I’m a firm believer that if the purpose of our life is to help, it puts us in a position to do just that. In one of the books (I read), we all know the saying, ‘You can’t take it with you when you die.’ And then, underneath that, it said, ‘The only thing you take with you is that which you’ve given others.’ We’re here to help, and I’ve been able to do that.”

Fortunately, Reese continues to give.

What will the team standings look like come Saturday night? Maybe Texas will capture a 16th NCAA championship. If the Longhorns don’t, it will have taken a superb performance to beat them. Either way, Eddie Reese will have been on deck, and that is a beautiful sight.

“I’ve done this all my life,” Reese said on the Inside With Brett Hawke Podcast. “It hasn’t been a job. It’s been a lifestyle. I love it. I love them. I’m on it.”

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