May 18, 2005

DURHAM, N.C. - Following 27 years as the head men's and women's swimming coach at Duke, Bob Thompson will retire from the post effective immediately. Thompson will remain with the school as a member of the Health and Physical Education Department's staff.

While at Duke, Thompson coached two All-Americas, two ACC Champions (a total of six individual titles), four All-ACC honorees and one ACC Swimmer of the Year. Thompson also tutored two-time All-America selection Nancy Hogshead, who earned three gold medals and one silver at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

"At the beginning of each season, I talk to the team about what it takes to swim competitively: passion." Thompson said. "You must have passion for the sport, passion for the dedication to hard work, passion for the team, and passion to compete, to put it on the line each day, each meet, each season.

"To coach, at least the way I have coached, it takes the same passion. I still have that passion for the people on this team and for the hundreds of swimming alumni that I have had the honor and privilege to coach. But I have recently realized that over the past few years, I have lost the passion to compete. Therefore, I have decided to retire from coaching. I tell each graduating class that they will always be a part of Duke Swimming. In the same way, Duke Swimming will always be a part of me."

In 2003-04, Thompson led a women's squad that broke 14 school records en route to producing the school's first ACC Champion and NCAA Championship participant since 1981. Katie Ness qualified for the 200 individual medley after winning the ACC Championship with an automatic NCAA-qualifying time in the event (2:00.27). Ness also notched All-ACC honors in the 100 butterfly with another Duke record-breaking mark.

Ness, along with Amy Halligan, Julia Lewis and Nora Stupp set records in the 400 freestyle and 800 freestyle relays. Individually, Halligan shattered the nearly quarter-century old 400 individual medley record, while Jackie Rodriguez firmly established herself by breaking a pair of 23-year old distance freestyle records set by Hogshead.

On the men's side, three relay records were broken in 2004 with new times being established in the 200 free relay, 800 fee relay and 400 medley relay events. John Humphrey swam on all three teams, bringing his record total to five after breaking the 200 and 400 IM records during the 2002-03 season.

"We are indebted to Coach Thompson for his outstanding service at Duke," said Duke Director of Athletics Joe Alleva. "He has represented himself and the University with class. We look forward to his continued involvement at Duke as a member of the Physical Education Department."

Thompson came to Duke in 1978 from the U.S. Naval Academy where he was an assistant coach for five years (1973-78) and the head plebe coach for three years (1975-78). At Navy, Thompson was the head coach for the Navy juniors program and coached future Olympic gold medalist Theresa Andrews to her first Junior National title.

Thompson, a native of New Kensington, Pa., swam competitively for Springfield College in Springfield, Mass. After his graduation, Thompson coached the New Kensington YMCA for four years and the New Kensington High School team for three seasons.