"The number of championships just means that I'm old," a water-soaked Reese said shortly after Texas wrapped up the 2015 Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championship at Iowa's Campus Recreation and Wellness Center.
The 11th title moved Reese, 73, into a tie with former Ohio State coach Mike Peppe for the most swimming titles by a coach in NCAA Division I history. Peppe won his titles between 1943 and 1962.
"I'm not as old as my chronological age would indicate," Reese said. "I'm never going to act my age."
Reese is in his 36th year at Texas and all 11 titles have come with the Longhorns. His first came in 1981, but the Longhorns had not won since copping his 10th in 2010.
And that was of no concern to Reese.
"I have 10 rings from winning 10 championships. I have no clue where they are," he said. "My grandkids know, because they play with them, or they used to."
Reese said his career has been more about the people he has coached than the championships his teams may have won. "I know what every kid did and how much they improved," he said. "Those are the things that really matter. It's always about the people."
Despite his age, Reese has a personality that relates well to his athletes. "You almost can't classify him as a coach," said sophomore Will Licon, who won the 200-yard breaststroke and 400 individual medley. "He's more a fatherly figure."I mean, yeah, he'll kick our butts at practice every day, but he's so much more than that. To give him another [championship] is really special for all of us."
Reese is the only coach to win NCAA team titles in four separate decades. His first Texas team, in 1979, placed 21st. His third won his first championship. The Longhorns have never finished lower then seventh the past 36 years and 29 times have finished in the top three.
Reese also was named coach of the year for a ninth time and is a three-time coach of the United States men's Olympic team (1992, 2004 and 2008). He also was an assistant Olymic coach four times, most recently in 2012.
"I have never had a goal to be an Olympic coach, never had a goal to win an NCAA title," said Reese, who was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2002. "I just want a bunch of people that will trust me and we'll see how fast we can get them to go."
Texas had two double winners of individual events. Freshman Joseph Schooling won the 100 and 200 butterfly. Also, sophomore Clark Smith won the 500 free after failing to qualify for the meet a year ago.
The Longhorns also had an unprecedented six finalists in the 100 butterfly and swept the top four spots.
As impressive as all that was, the youth of the team indicates good times are still ahead for the Longhorns.
"That means they will continue to make me look better than I am," Reese said.
