Carthage Women's Coach Steps Down

Longtime Carthage College women’s swimming coach Sue Nutty is stepping down after seventeen years with the Red Men and Lady Reds.  Nutty completed her 17th year as head women’s coach in 2007-08 (116-59-1 dual-meet record, 17 years).  She coached the Carthage men's team for 10 years, from 1992-2001.  Nutty was named the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin's "Coach of the Year" five times in her career including four of the past five seasons.  Her teams have earned CSCAA Academic All-American honors for thirty-consecutive semesters.

"Sue has been an exemplary employee over the past 18 years,” said Carthage athletic director Robert Bonn, “both with her swim teams and in the classroom.  She restarted men's and women's swimming in 1991 and was a major contributor to the planning and development of the Koenitzer Aquatic Center."

Carthage is one of just eight Division III programs with separate men's and women's coaching staffs.  Her counterpart across the pool deck, men's coach Greg Earhart, was equally complimentary of Nutty's contributions, "You can't find a more supportive colleague than Sue.  There's little question that much of our success on the men's team has been the result of things she's taught me or helped us out with.  I'm a little nervous to think of what I'll do without her here."

Nutty retires on top, with the Lady Reds having enjoyed their first-ever NCAA qualifiers and a 26th-place finish at the national meet.  In addition to her teams' success in the pool, Nutty has been integral to the success of Carthage out of the water.  She helped plan and design the school's Koenitzer Aquatic Center (completed in 2001), was a lecturer in the department of Exercise and Sport Science, and established a highly-successful lessons program.

Said Bonn, "Sue is an outstanding instructor of swimming and adaptive physical education.  Her youth swim lesson program probably taught more kids to swim in Kenosha than any other program.  It also became a major fund raiser for the swim teams.  She was one of our most professional employees.” 

Her departure will not alter Carthage's status as one of separate programs. Bonn will conduct a national search for a new head coach, and that position might also include head coaching duties for women’s water polo.  Luke Payette, who was served as water polo coach on a part-time basis the past three seasons, resigned earlier this summer.

"We're very fortunate to have a school that values swimming to the extent that it does," adds Earhart. "Because Sue and I worked so well together, we realy get the best of both combined and separate programs.  Hopefully that will continue in the future."