La Crosse, Wis. - University of Wisconsin-La Crosse head swimming & diving coach Dr. Richard Pein has announced he will retire at the end of the 2011-12 season.  Pein is in his 30th season with the Eagles' swimming program in 2011-12.

“I think it's time,” said Pein. “This is a chance for my wife, Jill, and I to go and do some of the things we've saved for and dreamed of doing.”

A campaign to raise funds for the naming of the swimming & diving facility in honor of Pein has begun. The overall fundraising target is $50,000 with a one-year goal of $15,000. If the one-year goal is raised, the facility will be named after Pein and fundraising will continue to raise the remaining money.

Pein, inducted into the UW-L Wall of Fame in 2006, took over the men's program in 1979 and proceeded to guide the squad to a 10th-place finish at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Championships that same year.  On the men's side, UW-L has placed among the top-20 nationally in either the NAIA or the NCAA in 11 of Pein's 30 seasons. The Eagles finished 22nd at the 2010 national championships, their best showing since a 16th-place result in 1993.  

He added the women's swimming program to his coaching duties prior to the 1985-86 season.  Pein has since coached the women's program to four NCAA III top-12 finishes, including a school-best fifth-place showing in 2003-04.  UW-L also scored a school record 215.0 points at the 2004 NCAA III Championships. UW-L was seventh at the 2010 national championships and eighth in 2009. Pein also led UW-L to two NAIA top-20 finishes.

“I really like this age group (18-22) that I've worked with and developing them into adults,” said Pein. “I seem to really fit well with that group for some reason. I can genuinely say I have liked the people who have come and gone through our program.”

He led UW-L to its first WIAC women's title since 1978 with a championship in 1997-98 and has led the Eagles to six of the last 10 conference titles overall.  The team won four consecutive conference crowns from 2002-05, marking the first time in school history UW-L had won four straight WIAC women's swimming & diving titles.  The Eagles became the first team since UW-Eau Claire (1995-97) to win three consecutive women's championships with their victory in 2003-04.  

Pein has been named Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men's Coach of the Year six times and Women's Coach of the Year 10 times.  In addition, he was named the NCAA Division III Women's Swimming National Coach of the Year in 2003-04 for the Eagles' fifth-place national finish.  Pein was selected the NAIA District 14 Coach of the Year in 1990-91 after leading the men to an 11th-place finish at the NAIA championships and the women to a 13th-place finish.

He has coached the men's program to a 129-74 (.635) won-loss record in dual meets, and has compiled a 114-35 (.765) dual mark in 23 seasons with the women's program. UW-L is 48-3 (.941) in women's duals the last 10 seasons.

Pein earned a bachelor's degree from Ohio University in 1971 and received his master's degree from Illinois State University in 1979.  He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee in 1990.  Before coming to UW-L, Pein served as assistant coach at Bowling Green University, Oakland University (Mich.) and Illinois State.

He taught in UW-L's Exercise Sport Science Department for 29 years.

“One of the most enjoyable things of being here has been the interplay of ideas between faculty, staff and coaches,” added Pein. “I think we have all benefited from being around so many intelligent people. I've seen a lot of changes over the past 30 years, including the improvement of our academic standards. UW-L really attracts top-notch people.”

“Coach Pein has been a part of the fabric of this athletic program for three decades,” said UW-L Director of Athletics Josh Whitman.  “The accomplishments of his teams speak for themselves, but what is much more meaningful is the impact that he has had on the lives of the hundreds of student-athletes who have come and gone through that pool.  Rich's strength is his ability to connect with his student-athletes.  There is great mutual respect and affection between Rich and the members of his team.

“He is one of the best coaches I have ever been around,” added Whitman. “ It seemed only fitting, given that Rich has spent the bulk of his adult life patrolling that pool deck, to honor him by putting his name on the pool facility itself.”

UW-L will begin a national search in early 2012 to identify Pein's successor.  

The Eagles begin their 2011-12 season Saturday, November 5 at the Northfield (Minn.) Invitational.

People can contribute to the Rich Pein Pool Campaign by contacting the UW-La Crosse Athletics Office (608) 785-8616 or by clicking here.