Jim Steen, architect of the most successful collegiate athletic program
in NCAA history, plans to step down as head coach of the Kenyon College
Lords swimming and diving team after this academic year. The move had
been rumored for months. Steen himself told recruits he wouldn't be
coaching upon their arrival and alumni had been told to turn out en
masse because this year's NCAA Division III Championships would be the
legendary coach's last. But following last month's second-place finish
at the meet there was no announcement. Now there is.
The announcement is the fourth major retirement in Division III swimming in the past month, but no name, image or legacy is bigger than that of the man who has won more NCAA team titles than any other coach in any sport. While he will not be leading the team, Steen, whose name will forever be remembered with Kenyon (and vice-versa) will remain with the College to help ensure a smooth transition for the swimming program and take on special projects.
That
transition should go smoothly with Jessen Book taking the reins of the
men's program. Book '01, a Steen protégé who was hired in July 2010 to
succeed
Steen as coach of the Kenyon Ladies swimming team, will become the head
coach for both the Lords and Ladies swimmers. Book guided the Ladies to
fourth-place national finishes in each of the last two seasons. In
Book's first season the teams largely operated separately, but this past
year the teams tackled workouts with more of a combined focus.
Steen
took over the Kenyon men’s program and started the women’s program in
the 1975-76 season. Since then, he directed the Lords to 29 of their
record 31 consecutive NCAA national championships and guided the Ladies
to 21 of their 23 national titles. Steen has won more NCAA national
championships (50) than any other coach in any NCAA sport. He is a
14-time winner of the NCAA's Division III Coach of the Year award, a
seven-time winner of the American Coaches Association Award for
Excellence, and the 1994 recipient of the National Collegiate and
Scholastic Swimming Trophy.
"Anybody who has the good fortune to
achieve anything over the course of a career that is worth mentioning
has been the beneficiary of a lifetime of good people," Steen said. "I
certainly have had the good fortune to partner up with amazing
student-athletes. And the talented and creative people in this
community, at this College, have taught me a lot about what it means to
pursue excellence."
Steen has coached more than 300 men and women
All-America swimmers. During his tenure Kenyon has ranked second among
all NCAA Division III institutions with a total of 55 NCAA postgraduate
scholarship winners. Swimmers coached by Steen have excelled in all
walks of life and many have become successful swimming coaches around
the country.
"Where do you start when talking about Coach Steen?"
said Peter Smith, director of Athletics, Fitness, and Recreation.
"Kenyon has been the recipient of one of the most creative and
innovative coaches that the NCAA has known. His successes have often
been measured in national championships, but the life discoveries that
have been made by those young men and women in his program have been
nothing short of remarkable."
Steen will continue to develop his successful Total Performance Sports Camps for swimming and other sports.
| Division I | Division II | Division III | |
| Combined | 120 | 61 | 206 |
| Separate | 19 | 2 |
4 |
| Women Only | 64 | 19 | 20 |
| Men Only | 1 | 1 | 1 |
