Eddie Reese Outdoor Pool Opens at University of Texas

Photo Courtesy: University of Texas Athletics video screenshot

The University of Texas officially opened the Eddie Reese Outdoor Pool.

The Longhorns made the announcement with a video on social medial.

The facility in Austin, Texas, has 10 short-course lanes as well as five long-course lanes in the main pool.

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A post shared by Texas Men's Swimming & Diving (@texasmsd)

Reese, the only college swimming coach to win NCAA team titles in four separate decades is a three-time United States Men’s Olympic Team head coach, Reese is the winningest coach in the sport’s history with 14 NCAA team titles, a figure that also positions Texas as the winningest NCAA Division I Men’s Swimming and Diving program.

After placing 21st at the NCAA Championships in his first season (1979) at Texas, Reese’s teams have never finished lower than seventh at the national meet. His Texas team finished the 2018-19 season with two incredible streaks to its credit: 40 consecutive top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championship and 40 consecutive conference titles. Along the way, Reese has developed 53 NCAA individual champions, 50 national champion relays, 263 All-Americans and 29 Olympians who have won 39 gold medals, 16 silver medals and eight bronze medals.

During the 1980s, the Longhorns claimed three NCAA team titles (1981, 1988, 1989) and all 10 Southwest Conference crowns. In 1981, just three years after taking over the Texas program, Reese captured his first national team championship. From 1981 to 1986, Texas turned in two NCAA runner-up performances (1982, 1984) and placed third in the national meet three times (1983, 1985, 1986).

Eddie Reese Outdoor Pool. Photo Courtesy: University of Texas Athletics video

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After Reese’s initial fifth-place showing at the NCAAs with Texas in 1987, the Longhorns closed the decade strong, reeling off back-to-back titles in 1988 and 1989. His squads in the 1990s continued on that torrid pace, winning NCAA team titles in 1990, 1991 and 1996. The Longhorns finished second at Nationals in 1992 and 1994, placed third in 1993 and 1999 and took fourth in 1995. Texas also won each of the last seven SWC crowns (1990-96).

Eddie Reese began the new millennium in the same fashion, winning three consecutive NCAA Championships (2000, 2001 and 2002). Texas placed second at Nationals in 2003, finished third in 2004, seventh in 2005, fourth in 2006 and fifth in 2007. Two more NCAA runner-up finishes in 2008 and 2009 preceded Reese’s 10th NCAA team title in 2010. Incredibly, Reese has completed a second streak of four consecutive titles in his career with NCAA team crowns in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Under Reese, Texas has placed second 11 times at the NCAA Championships, and Reese’s teams have finished in the top three at the NCAA Championships in 32 of his 40 seasons at Texas. The Longhorns have maintained their dominance at the conference level, winning all 22 Big 12 crowns and 39 consecutive conference titles.

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Bob Bradley

3 years ago

Fabulous!

Christine MacAulay

3 years ago

Good luck Kyla Leibel

Mike Mintenko

3 years ago

Awesome new Myrtha Pool. Great job Myrtha Pools, Progressive Pools and Counsilman Hunsaker.

Diane Weber

3 years ago

A big “Congrats, Eddie.. more important than the swimming accolades, are the values you established for your young swimmers.. Life lessons, hopefully we’ll learned. Kudos to you and Eleanor. You couldn’t have done it without her. Kudos