Rich Pein completed his 30th season with the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse swimming program in 2011-12.
Pein took over the UW-L men's program in 1979 and proceeded to guide the squad to a 10th-place finish at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championships that same year.
Since his auspicious beginning, Pein has continued to lead the men's swimming program to top-20 finishes. In fact, 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. UW-L tied for 23rd in 2004 and finished 23rd in 2007.
He added the women's swimming program to his coaching duties prior to the 1985-86 season. Since inheriting the additional role, Pein has 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, eighth in 2009 and 13th in 2008. Other finishes at the NCAA Championships included placing 10th in 2002; 12th in 1998; 20th in 2003; 15th in 2005; 17th in 2006; 24th in 2007 and 29th in 2011.
He led UW-L to its first WIAC 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 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 also led UW-L to two NAIA top-20 finishes.
He has been named Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Men's Coach of the Year six times and Women's Coach of the Year 10 times. He first gained the men's honor in 1981-82 following UW-L's third-place finish in the WIAC and 11th-place NAIA finish. Pein was also selected for the award in 1991-92, 1994-95, 2001-02, 2006-07 and 2009-10 after leading the Eagles to a second-place conference finish.
Pein gained the women's honor in 1985-86, 1986-87, 1991-92, 1994-95, 1997-98, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2003-04, 2007-08 and 2008-09. 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) win-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 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.
Pein was inducted into the UW-L Wall of Fame in 2006.
