Longtime Illinois State swimming and diving coach Steve Paska announced his plans to retire following the 2014-15 season Tuesday. Paska, who has coached Illinois State student-athletes for over 30 years, informed his team of the decision Sunday.
Paska will coach the team through the 2014-15 season. His final day on the job will be July 31, 2015.
Illinois State swimming and diving coach Steve Paska (courtesy of Illinois State Athletics
“After 30 years, it’s the right time for me to step down from the position of head coach and allow someone else to take the reins of the program,” Paska said. “After thorough deliberation and many discussions with my family, we have decided that this is the right point in my life, both personally and professionally, to step away.”
The Illinois State swimming and diving team has enjoyed unprecedented success under Paska’s leadership, both in the pool and in the classroom. Student-athletes coached by Paska own all 24 of Illinois State’s school-record times. The swimming and diving team has also consistently ranked as one of Illinois State’s best-performing teams in the classroom, and most recently ranked fifth among Division I swimming and diving programs, with a 3.59 grade-point average (GPA) during the Spring 2014 semester.
“Steve ran a model program that was consistently excellent in the pool, in the classroom and in the community,” Director of Athletics Larry Lyons said. “That is a reflection of who Steve is as a person and a coach. He has always represented what is really good about college athletics. We wish him the best as he moves to this next phase of his life.”
Paska is a 1983 graduate of Illinois State and was a two-time letter winner as a member of the Illinois State men’s swimming and diving team, which folded after the 1981-82 season. Paska joined the ISU women’s swimming and diving staff as a volunteer assistant coach, while pursuing a graduate degree, ahead of the 1983-84 season. He served as a graduate assistant coach under head coach Kathie Wickstrand, who had coached Paska as a member of the ISU men’s swimming and diving team, during the 1984-85 season.
Paska was named Illinois State’s head women’s swimming and diving coach in the summer of 1985.
“It’s been an incredible honor to have coached more than 300 student-athletes over the past three decades,” Paska said. “What I have cherished most about coaching student-athletes has been building relationships with each one of my athletes. I hope that I was able to play a role in their lives as student-athletes at Illinois State and beyond.
“Furthermore, I am forever thankful that the parents sent their daughters here and allowed me to be their coach.”
Since taking over the program, Paska has led the Redbirds to five Gateway Conference championships, five Midwest Independent titles, three National Independent crowns, the 1996 Missouri Valley Conference championship and 11 conference runner-up finishes. He has been named a coach of the year a total of seven times, by the MVC, Midwest Independent and National Independent.
The team has been just as successful out of the water. Paska’s student-athletes have consistently ranked among Illinois State’s top performers in the classroom, and the team has become a fixture in the list of Team Scholar All-America honorees, named by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA), after each fall and spring semester. The team’s 3.61 GPA during the Spring 2013 semester set a program record, and was tied for the third-best among all Division I women’s swimming and diving teams that semester.
Beyond all the success in the pool and in the classroom, Illinois State has been a special place for Paska, whose only full-time job has been as a swimming and diving coach at the school. He met his wife, former All-American volleyball player Julie (Mueller) Paska, while the two were student-athletes at Illinois State. Their son, Matt, is a 2012 ISU graduate.
“I am thankful that the administrators, administrative assistants and all my colleagues at Illinois State have always been so supportive of my team, my family and me,” Paska said. “I also want to thank all of the past diving coaches and assistant swim coaches for their efforts to make every year a special one on the pool deck.
“I also have to thank the person who hired me as the Illinois State women’s swim coach, Dr. Linda Herman, and my former coach and mentor, Kathie Wickstrand, who inspired me to believe in my coaching principles and values, and encouraged me to apply for this position in May of 1985.
“Most importantly, I have to thank my family. Our kids – Matt, Dusty and Jill – have been incredibly understanding of my time commitment as a head swim coach. I owe the most thanks to my wife, Julie, who has been so supportive, understanding and caring over the past 30 years. She’s been with me every step of the way, and I couldn’t have done any of this without her.”
What others are saying about Paska:
Former Illinois State Head Men’s and Women’s Swimming Coach Kathie Wickstrand
“I know this was such a hard decision for him, because he cares about the students so much, but I’m glad he’s taking this time for himself, for his wife, Julie, and his family, and he can really enjoy it. Steve is a really special person, and I feel really blessed to have known him as a student-athlete, and to have seen the depth and the length of his coaching career, and to have seen what he’s done at Illinois State, I am so proud of him.”
Illinois State Diving Coach Phil Hoffmann
“Steve is the reason that I am at Illinois State. I started with him as a student assistant, and it’s been an honor and a privilege to have worked with him and coached with him side-by-side for the past 12 years. To say that he laid the foundation for Illinois State swimming and diving team is an understatement – he is the foundation.”
Illinois State Senior Associate Athletics Director for Compliance and Student Services Cindy Harris
“I want to sincerely thank Steve for his commitment, dedication, and loyalty to our women’s swimming and diving program at Illinois State University. He has served as a role model and transformed the lives of countless young women for over 30 years. Steve’s impact and influence will be felt for many generations to come. It has been my pleasure to work side-by-side with a coach that has spent his entire coaching career in one place.”
Retired Illinois State Interim Director of Athletics and Head Volleyball Coach Linda Herman
“The measurement of Steve’s successful 30-year coaching career goes way beyond championships and records. He’s a great role model for student-athletes and he instills in them values of personal excellence in academics and social responsibility, as well as discipline and success in athletics. Steve treated his swimmers and divers like his extended family. Personally, I have the utmost respect for Steve as a person and a coach, because of his professionalism, integrity, loyalty and positive influence on young people.”
Southern Illinois Head Swimming Coach Rick Walker
“Steve has done a remarkable job at Illinois State. For two coaches who go back to when they were swimmers, I have always admired the passion Steve has for the sport, and I have come to admire the passion he has for Illinois State. More importantly, I am proud that my profession has somebody like Steve Paska in it, someone who has that much passion in his student-athletes.”
Retired Missouri State Head Swimming and Diving Head Coach Jack Steck
“I’ve known Steve for years – even back to when he was a swimmer. That ages me to a certain extent, but I’ve known him for a long, long time. He has a great coaching record and he really prepares his team for competition. His team is a family to him. He’s a legend and he’s really done an outstanding job.”
Evansville Head Swimming and Diving Coach Rickey Perkins
“As a younger coach coming into the league, he kind of took me under his wing and taught me a lot about organizing a team and dealing with different personalities. He’s a total inspiration. I think he’s one of the best coaches in the country.”
College Swimming News courtesy of Illinois State.