The University of Georgia’s Jack Bauerle has been selected to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Executive Board of the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA). This award is presented to the individual whose efforts best exemplify the integrity and ideals of collegiate swimming and who has achieved significant success in the sport while imparting the educational and character-building qualities of the collegiate swimming experience. Bauerle will be recognized at the 62nd Annual CSCAA College Swimming & Diving Awards on May 8th, in Orlando, Florida.

“It is my complete honor to recognize Coach Bauerle on behalf of the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America,” said CSCAA Executive Director Samantha Barany. “Jack is known for his excellence as a swim coach, but more impressively it is clear that he is loved by those he coached for being a trusted leader and mentor. This award is well deserved and we look forward to celebrating his outstanding body of work at the CSCAA Annual Meetings this May.”

In his 43-year long career at the helm of the Georgia program, Bauerle experienced success every way measurable. The Georgia Bulldogs, under his leadership, produced National champions, CSCAA All-Americans, Olympians, CSCAA Scholar All-Americans, and NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients. Bauerle became the longest-tenured in Georgia athletics history with his 35th season (2013-2014).

In his time overseeing Georgia’s program, Bauerle produced seven NCAA and 12 SEC crowns with the Lady Bulldogs. At NCAAs, his teams posted 48 Top 10 finishes, including 21 Top 5 finishes in 22 seasons for the women’s squad from 1995 through 2017. He was chosen as the SEC Coach of the Year 18 times (16 with the women, two with the men) and the CSCAA National Women’s Coach of the Year on seven occasions.

In 2008, Bauerle was chosen as the United States women’s team coach for the Olympics, leading the American women to 14 medals, the most of any nation. He coached for Team USA at each of the last six Olympic Games, serving as a women’s assistant in 2000, men’s assistant in 2016 and 2020, and personal coach in 2004 and 2012. Under Bauerle’s leadership, Georgia produced 87 Olympians representing 20 different nations, earning 38 medals in the process. Georgia swimmers earned 15 Gold Medals.

Bauerle’s teams excelled in the classroom and community as well. Three Lady Bulldog swimmers, Kristy Kowal, Lisa Coole and Kim Black, were named the NCAA Woman of the Year. With 40 NCAA postgraduate scholarship winners, only six schools have more recipients than the Georgia swimming and diving program. Additionally, the program produced 41 individual CSCAA Academic All-Americans and 436 CSCAA Scholar All-Americans.

Including his tenures as head coach, assistant coach and student-athlete, Bauerle has been associated with Georgia for over 50 years. During his athletic career he was a four-year letter-winner and two-time team captain. Graduating in 1975 with an English degree and program records in the 200-yard butterfly and 1,650-yard freestyle. Following graduation, he was an assistant for the men’s team for three seasons and the women for one before being named women’s head coach in 1979, eventually adding the men’s title in 1983.

CSCAA members can register for the 62nd Annual Meetings and Awards Celebration at www.cscaa.org/meetings. All registrations include a ticket to the Award Ceremony and Post Celebration at the Hard Rock Cafe, Universal’s CityWalk. Questions can be directed to: all@cscaa.org

Previous Recipients

2021 - Terry Ganley, University of Minnesota
2020 - Rick Walker, Southern Illinois
2019 - Nancy Bigelow, Tufts University
2018 - John Patnott, Hope College & Jon Lederhouse, Wheaton College
2017 - Bev Ball, McMurray University
2016 - George Kennedy, Johns Hopkins
2014 - Jon Urbanchek, Michigan
2013 - Skip Kenney, Stanford
2012 - Jim Steen, Kenyon College
2011 - Susan Teeter, Princeton
2010 - Nort Thornton, California & Peter Daland, Southern California
2009 - Richard Quick, Auburn

About the CSCAA

Founded in 1922, the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) – the first organization of college coaches in America - is a professional organization of college swimming and diving coaches dedicated to serving and providing leadership for the advancement of the sport of swimming & diving at the collegiate level.