Coaching Staff
Head Coach Rich Pein
Entering his 27th season with the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse swimming program in 2008-09, Rich Pein has experienced his share of personal and team accomplishments.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 27 seasons. The Eagles tied for 23rd at the 2004 national championships, the best team finish since 1993. UW-L finished 23rd at the 2007 NCAA III Championships, totaling 48.0 team points.
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 three 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 13th at the 2008 national championships. Other finishes at the NCAA Championships included placing 10th in 2002; 12th in 1998; 20th in 2003; 15th in 2005; 17th in 2006 and 24th in 2007.
He led UW-L to its first WIAC title since 1978 with a championship in 1997-98 and has led the Eagles to five of the last seven conference titles, including four consecutive (2002-05). It marked 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 five times and Women's Coach of the Year eight 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 and 2006-07 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, 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04. 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 120-71 win-loss record in dual meets, and has compiled a 103-34 dual mark in 20 seasons with the women's program. UW-L is 37-2 in women's duals the last seven 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.