Ray Looze, who has coached Indiana men's swimming, has been named the Hoosiers' head men's and women's swimming coach, IU Athletics Director Rick Greenspan announced today. In his revised capacity, Looze will continue his current position as men's coach and also fill the role vacated by Dorsey Tierney, who resigned May 17 to take a similar position as the co-head women's swimming coach at Auburn.

Greenspan is counting on Looze to continue restoring and maintaining the Hoosiers' proud men's and women's swimming tradition.

"Ray has done an outstanding job in his three years with our men's program, and we are confident that he will build upon the recent success that both teams have had," Greenspan said. "In a combined setting, Ray has a plan to maximize the efficiency of individualized training. This translates to even better team-wide success. Ray is extremely enthusiastic about this opportunity, and he will bring a lot of energy to both programs."

Marge Counsilman, wife of the late, legendary Indiana swimming coach James 'Doc' Counsilman, said that this announcement bodes well for the future of both Hoosier programs.

"When I talked to Ray recently, I had an inkling that this might happen," Counsilman said. "All I said was 'Best of luck and don't work too hard.' It sounds like alot of top programs are going to this arrangement, where one coach works mainly with sprinters and another mainly with distance swimmers. This should all work out well."

Indeed, Looze is optimistic about the future of IU swimming.

"This is a great opportunity for Indiana swimming and diving to take the next step in the sports progress toward elite status," Looze said. "The combined model has worked extremely well in track and field for many years and is now the structure for about half the men's and women's swimming and diving teams across the NCAA. It will allow us to create stroke and distance specific training groups, share resources, streamline recruiting, and complete more effectively with the best programs in the country. By working together our women and men can start something very special at IU which will allow us to contend for the Big Ten title every year and ultimately result in a national championship. It is very exciting to be a part of such a talented group of people."

The Indiana women enjoyed spectacular success under previous coach Dorsey Tierney-Walker. This past season the Hoosiers enjoyed their second top ten finish in the past four years as well as finishing second in the Big Ten, running their current streak of top three finishes to five.

Looze is no stranger to dual sport coaching responsibility. Looze came to IU after four years as the head men's and women's swimming coach at the University of Pacific. He won four straight Big West Conference Men's Swimming Coach of the Year honors, and he was named the league's Women's Swimming Coach of the Year honors in 2002.