Bob Groseth (Men's Swimming and Diving Coach, 1989-2009)
Bob Groseth took over a struggling Northwestern men’s swimming program in 1989 and ushered in a modern golden age not seen in Evanston since the 1930s. Groseth’s team broke a 32-year drought without a Big Ten Champion when Steve Steketee won the 200 freestyle title in 1998; the Wildcats would go on to win 36 Big Ten championships, five individual NCAA championships and 71 total All-America honors during his tenure.
Prior to Groseth’s arrival in 1989, Northwestern had finished last in the Big Ten in 11-consecutive seasons. Groseth won three Big Ten Coach of the Year awards in 2002, 2005 and 2007 while building the program into a contender, finishing in the upper half of the conference in seven-consecutive years from 2001-07 including a third-place finish in 2004.
The NCAA Coach of the Year in 2005, Groseth led Northwestern to 12 NCAA Championships berths, finishing in the top-12 in the nation every year from 2004-08. The program finished sixth overall in 2007, its best finish since winning a national title in 1933. Groseth recruited future Olympians Matt Grevers, Mike Alexandrov and Bruno Barbic to Northwestern, a group which formed the nucleus of NU’s success in the mid 2000s.
Groseth retired in 2009 to become the executive director of the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) with the mission of keeping college swimming and diving programs from being dropped.
Prior to Groseth’s arrival in 1989, Northwestern had finished last in the Big Ten in 11-consecutive seasons. Groseth won three Big Ten Coach of the Year awards in 2002, 2005 and 2007 while building the program into a contender, finishing in the upper half of the conference in seven-consecutive years from 2001-07 including a third-place finish in 2004.
The NCAA Coach of the Year in 2005, Groseth led Northwestern to 12 NCAA Championships berths, finishing in the top-12 in the nation every year from 2004-08. The program finished sixth overall in 2007, its best finish since winning a national title in 1933. Groseth recruited future Olympians Matt Grevers, Mike Alexandrov and Bruno Barbic to Northwestern, a group which formed the nucleus of NU’s success in the mid 2000s.
Groseth retired in 2009 to become the executive director of the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) with the mission of keeping college swimming and diving programs from being dropped.
