Source: NUsports.com
Posted: Monday, June 08, 2009 11:42:00 AM EST
Published: Monday, June 08, 2009 11:44:54 AM EST
Posted: Monday, June 08, 2009 11:42:00 AM EST
Published: Monday, June 08, 2009 11:44:54 AM EST
EVANSTON, Ill. -- After 20 seasons in Evanston during which he transformed Northwestern men's swimming and diving into a legitimate national player, Bob Groseth today announced his retirement as the head coach of the NU program effective Sept. 1, 2009, to become the interim Executive Director of the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA).
Groseth began his involvement with the CSCAA several years ago, helping save collegiate swimming programs that were threatened with being dropped before later becoming more involved with the administration of the organization. He has served as the President Elect for the past two years.
"As a coach, my job was to push people outside of their `comfort zone.' As I approached my 20th year at Northwestern, I started to feel the need to get outside of my comfort zone," Groseth said. "My years here have been great and the school and administration have treated me well. I leave with even more respect for the institution than I had when I started 20 years ago. I have seen a transformation of the Athletic Department and Northwestern Men's Swimming from a perennial doormat
to a perennial contender. I take pride in being part of that process and thank the many people who have helped make it happen."
"We are very pleased that Bob is stepping in this direction for the CSCAA," President George Kennedy said. "He is a leader in our sport and is passionate about the issues that college swimming faces today. The entire CSCAA Board welcomes Bob Groseth, and we look forward to his leadership in the next year."
Groseth began his coaching duties at Northwestern in 1989, taking over a team that finished last in the Big Ten in each of the 11 seasons prior to his arrival. During his tenure Groseth built the Wildcats into a contender, finishing in the upper half of the conference in seven-consecutive years from 2001-07, including a third-place effort in 2004. Northwestern also had a five-year stretch from 2004-08 in which it was a top-12 team in the nation in each season, peaking with a modern era-best sixth-place finish in 2007.
"This is certainly a day of very mixed emotions. We are all happy for Bob but sad that we are losing a tremendous coach, teacher and person," NU Director of Athletics and Recreation Jim Phillips said. "We want to express our sincere and heartfelt thanks to Coach Groseth for his 20 years of dedicated service to Northwestern athletics. Bob has left an indelible mark at
Northwestern with the success of our men's swimming and diving program, and that is a legacy that will remain here forever. We wish Bob the very best of luck as he takes this new step in his career."
Current Northwestern assistant coach Jarod Schroeder will be promoted to head coach of the men's swimming and diving program to replace Groseth, Phillips also announced today (June 8). Schroeder, who trained under Groseth while a competitive swimmer, served as a volunteer assistant coach with the Wildcats from 2000-06 before returning to Evanston as an assistant prior to the 2008-09 season.
In dual-meet terms, Groseth went 116-114 in his 20 years at Northwestern. In 2006-07, the Wildcats were a perfect 8-0 in their dual-meet schedule to complete their first undefeated season in the modern era of the program. In 35 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Groseth compiled a 186-170 dual-meet mark.
Groseth's team broke a 32-year drought without a Big Ten champion from Northwestern when Steve Steketee won the 200 freestyle title in 1998. From that point on, Groseth's Wildcats won 36 event crowns in the next 11 years, including 30 in a five-year span from 2004-08. He has coached every single first-team All-Big Ten performer in program history (an award first given in 1984), with 14 swimmers earning 26 honors under his tutelage.
A three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2002, 2005 and 2007, Groseth led Northwestern to 12 NCAA Championships berths, including nine-straight appearances from 2001-09. In fact, only twice after 1995 have the Wildcats failed to place a swimmer in the NCAA meet.
Northwestern earned 71 All-America honors under Groseth, comprised of 51 individual and 20 relay awards. Groseth was named the NCAA Co-Coach of the Year in 2005.
Bob Groseth coached Matt Grevers (right) to four NCAA titles before Grevers went on to earn two gold medals and a silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The Wildcats brought home five national championships for Groseth, beginning in 2005 when Matt Grevers became the first 'Cat in 47 years to earn an NCAA crown with a victory in the 100 backstroke. Grevers repeated in the event in 2006 before capturing 200 backstroke gold in 2007, one of three NU national titles in that year. Mike Alexandrov broke a 10-year-old NCAA record to win the 100 breast while both Grevers and Alexandrov combined with Kyle Bubolz and Bruno Barbic to win the 400 medley relay, also shattering that NCAA mark in the process.
Grevers went on to earn a spot with the U.S. team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, earning two gold medals with relays and an individual silver medal in the 100-meter backstroke. Alexandrov also swam in Beijing with his native Bulgaria, marking his second Olympic Games after competing in Athens in 2004. Barbic was an alternate for the Croatian delegation in Beijing.
Groseth has been honored multiple times by his peers for his coaching acumen. He received the Richard E. Steadman Award after the 2001-02 season from the Collegiate Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA). He was the recipient of the American Swimming Coaches Association "Bob Ousley" Award for contributions to the sport in 2003 and won the John Newman Award for contributions to Illinois Swimming in 2008.
Groseth began his head coaching career at Fenwick High School from 1967-73, where his teams won seven-straight Catholic League championships and four National Catholic Championships. He then jumped to the collegiate ranks to serve as head coach at Cincinnati (1974-77), Tulane (1977-79) and Iowa State (1979-89) before joining Northwestern for the 1989-90 season.
Groseth began his involvement with the CSCAA several years ago, helping save collegiate swimming programs that were threatened with being dropped before later becoming more involved with the administration of the organization. He has served as the President Elect for the past two years.
"As a coach, my job was to push people outside of their `comfort zone.' As I approached my 20th year at Northwestern, I started to feel the need to get outside of my comfort zone," Groseth said. "My years here have been great and the school and administration have treated me well. I leave with even more respect for the institution than I had when I started 20 years ago. I have seen a transformation of the Athletic Department and Northwestern Men's Swimming from a perennial doormat
to a perennial contender. I take pride in being part of that process and thank the many people who have helped make it happen."
"We are very pleased that Bob is stepping in this direction for the CSCAA," President George Kennedy said. "He is a leader in our sport and is passionate about the issues that college swimming faces today. The entire CSCAA Board welcomes Bob Groseth, and we look forward to his leadership in the next year."
Groseth began his coaching duties at Northwestern in 1989, taking over a team that finished last in the Big Ten in each of the 11 seasons prior to his arrival. During his tenure Groseth built the Wildcats into a contender, finishing in the upper half of the conference in seven-consecutive years from 2001-07, including a third-place effort in 2004. Northwestern also had a five-year stretch from 2004-08 in which it was a top-12 team in the nation in each season, peaking with a modern era-best sixth-place finish in 2007.
"This is certainly a day of very mixed emotions. We are all happy for Bob but sad that we are losing a tremendous coach, teacher and person," NU Director of Athletics and Recreation Jim Phillips said. "We want to express our sincere and heartfelt thanks to Coach Groseth for his 20 years of dedicated service to Northwestern athletics. Bob has left an indelible mark at
Northwestern with the success of our men's swimming and diving program, and that is a legacy that will remain here forever. We wish Bob the very best of luck as he takes this new step in his career."
Current Northwestern assistant coach Jarod Schroeder will be promoted to head coach of the men's swimming and diving program to replace Groseth, Phillips also announced today (June 8). Schroeder, who trained under Groseth while a competitive swimmer, served as a volunteer assistant coach with the Wildcats from 2000-06 before returning to Evanston as an assistant prior to the 2008-09 season.
In dual-meet terms, Groseth went 116-114 in his 20 years at Northwestern. In 2006-07, the Wildcats were a perfect 8-0 in their dual-meet schedule to complete their first undefeated season in the modern era of the program. In 35 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Groseth compiled a 186-170 dual-meet mark.
Groseth's team broke a 32-year drought without a Big Ten champion from Northwestern when Steve Steketee won the 200 freestyle title in 1998. From that point on, Groseth's Wildcats won 36 event crowns in the next 11 years, including 30 in a five-year span from 2004-08. He has coached every single first-team All-Big Ten performer in program history (an award first given in 1984), with 14 swimmers earning 26 honors under his tutelage.
A three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2002, 2005 and 2007, Groseth led Northwestern to 12 NCAA Championships berths, including nine-straight appearances from 2001-09. In fact, only twice after 1995 have the Wildcats failed to place a swimmer in the NCAA meet.
Northwestern earned 71 All-America honors under Groseth, comprised of 51 individual and 20 relay awards. Groseth was named the NCAA Co-Coach of the Year in 2005.
Bob Groseth coached Matt Grevers (right) to four NCAA titles before Grevers went on to earn two gold medals and a silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The Wildcats brought home five national championships for Groseth, beginning in 2005 when Matt Grevers became the first 'Cat in 47 years to earn an NCAA crown with a victory in the 100 backstroke. Grevers repeated in the event in 2006 before capturing 200 backstroke gold in 2007, one of three NU national titles in that year. Mike Alexandrov broke a 10-year-old NCAA record to win the 100 breast while both Grevers and Alexandrov combined with Kyle Bubolz and Bruno Barbic to win the 400 medley relay, also shattering that NCAA mark in the process.
Grevers went on to earn a spot with the U.S. team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, earning two gold medals with relays and an individual silver medal in the 100-meter backstroke. Alexandrov also swam in Beijing with his native Bulgaria, marking his second Olympic Games after competing in Athens in 2004. Barbic was an alternate for the Croatian delegation in Beijing.
Groseth has been honored multiple times by his peers for his coaching acumen. He received the Richard E. Steadman Award after the 2001-02 season from the Collegiate Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA). He was the recipient of the American Swimming Coaches Association "Bob Ousley" Award for contributions to the sport in 2003 and won the John Newman Award for contributions to Illinois Swimming in 2008.
Groseth began his head coaching career at Fenwick High School from 1967-73, where his teams won seven-straight Catholic League championships and four National Catholic Championships. He then jumped to the collegiate ranks to serve as head coach at Cincinnati (1974-77), Tulane (1977-79) and Iowa State (1979-89) before joining Northwestern for the 1989-90 season.
