Courtesy of Wheaton Athletics.
Jon Lederhouse, head swimming coach at Wheaton College, has announced that he will retire at the conclusion of the 2016-17 school year. Entering his 41st season as a head coach at Wheaton, Lederhouse’s swim programs have won 48 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Championships (24 men and 24 women). Additionally, he coached the women’s team to four Chicago Metro Conference championships prior to the CCIW adding women’s swimming as a conference sport.
Julie Davis, Wheaton’s Director of Athletics says of Lederhouse, “Jon represents the very best of a Wheaton College head coach. Jon is an incredibly successful coach, building the swim program at Wheaton and accumulating numerous conference championships and national top-10 finishes along the way. Equally important, he has been an outstanding Christian leader and mentor to his many student-athletes. His personal devotion to Christ and his commitment to student discipleship has marked hundreds of lives. He will be deeply missed, and I am incredibly grateful for his contributions over the years.”
The NCAA Division III Women’s Swimming Co-Coach of the Year in 2000, Lederhouse’s women’s teams have scored points at the NCAA Championships 32 times, including 10 top-10 finishes. His 2000 women’s squad finished fifth at Nationals. Four women have won a total of 11 NCAA Division III individual championships in his lengthy tenure.
Lederhouse’s men’s program has finished in the top-10 at the NCAA Division III Championships 11 times, including a third-place finish in 1990 and a fourth-place finish in 1991. Wheaton has won five individual NCAA men’s swimming Championships from three of Lederhouse’s swimmers. Under his guidance the program has scored points 33 times at the NCAA Division III Men’s Swimming Championships.
A 1974 graduate of Wheaton, Lederhouse was a two-time NCAA College Division Champion in the 100-yard backstroke and a 15-time All-American in his swimming career.
Davis notes that a national search for Wheaton’s next swim coach will begin in November.
COACH LEDERHOUSE’S CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
We asked Coach Lederhouse for his career highlights over the last 40 years. Here are his highlights, categorizing them as either priceless, fulfilling or exciting:
— Swimming on the first Wheaton College teams to win their Conference (CCIW) Championship and place top-10 at the NCAA Championships – EXCITING
— Coaching 52 of the 55 Wheaton conference swim team championships and 21 of the 22 NCAA top-10 squads – FULFILLING
— Hosting the 1990 NCAA D3 Men’s Championship Meet, opening the trophy boxes and saying to myself, “…like we will ever win one of these,” then finishing third in the meet! – PRICELESS
— Coaching my first two NCAA scorers, two Wheaton divers, as a volunteer assistant coach in 1974 and 1976 – EXCITING
— Coaching 84 Individual Wheaton All-Americans in swimming, diving, and water polo – FULFILLING
— Coaching my three children and my two brothers as Wheaton swimmers – PRICELESS
— Coaching three Wheaton swimmers to breaking NCAA D3 records – EXCITING
— Coaching seven Wheaton swimmers to NCAA Division III titles and 17 others as runners-up – FULFILLING
— Coaching one Wheaton swimmer to the U.S. Olympic Trials Track final in the 5K run and another Wheaton Swimmer to an Olympic berth in speed skating – PRICELESS
— Serving on the design team for the first and only Wheaton College pool and hosting 70 taper meets there – EXCITING
— Serving on the NCAA Rules Committee for much of the 1990s – FULFILLING
— Serving as a spiritual influence for some swimmers and coaches during my career – PRICELESS
— Teaching classes for 25 years in the Wheaton College Kinesiology Department from beginning swimming to sports ethics – EXCITING
— Coordinating instructional and competitive aquatics programs for community children – FULFILLING
— Debating teaching and coaching philosophies for 40 years with a professor in the Wheaton College Education Department (and still being happily married to her) – PRICELESS
— Occasionally receiving the CCIW Coach of the Year award – EXCITING
— Co-recipient of the 2000 NCAA D3 Women’s Coach of the Year award – FULFILLING
— Receiving the 2012 Wheaton College Distinguished Service to Alma Mater together with my wife, Jill –PRICELESS
— Having the Wheaton swimming and water polo alumni volunteer coach with me – EXCITING
— Having rival athletes from within the conference assistant coach with me – FULFILLING
— Having my own Wheaton College swim coach still volunteer coaching with me 45 years later – PRICELESS
— Swimming or coaching for Wheaton at NCAA’s all but one year since 1971 – EXCITING
— Coaching the children of my teammates and former swimmers – FULFILLING
— Getting a visit from any of nearly 700 swim alumni and having their best times pop up in my head before their names – PRICELESS
Truly one of the most acclaimed NCAA DIII coaches of all time, not to mention an immensely positive influence on Wheaton’s campus. You’ll be sorely missed, Coach!
I first met Jon as a swimmer at Augustana, reconnecting as a High School Coach , and then again as a parent of an Augustana swimmer. While so much changes over the years, one thing remains constant: Jon provides his athletes and all who know him with love, care, and respect. He has transformed many lives by his example of living a faith filled life. Thank you Jon for sharing your gifts with the sport we all love and the countless lives you have touched!
As an Augustana (not Wheaton) swimmer I saw Jon over 10 years after I graduated. First thing he said to me was my best time down to the 100th of a second. Who does that??? Amazing man.
An absolute legend. A phenomenal Coach but an even better Man.
Congratulations Coach Lederhouse on a job, a career, a marriage, a life in Christ all well done. To God be the glory great things he has done. And thank you for all that you do and have done. Like Tony the Tiger, ” you are GREAT!”
Our family happens to live around the corner from Wheaton College and having a daughter swim for Jon afforded us the great pleasure of having both swimmers and their parents in our home at various times. I can readily attest to the universal adoration felt by both groups for Jon.
Whenever mentioning his name, which happened often, swimmers would get a big smile on their face, tell some story about Jon which would elicit laughter and an “oh coach” and you could just sense the love and admiration they felt for their coach, mentor, and friend. I can also say with certainty that it was a universal sentiment at parent gatherings that we were overjoyed at the prospect of… Read more »
A rock and foundation to those who partook under his tutelage. We achieved such success both in and out of the pool. Thanks Jon for the great “times!”
Jon has been a wonderful coaching colleague and role model. He dedicated his work to our sport, DIII, Wheaton, and all of his colleagues and athletes. His record at Wheaton for the past 41 years has been outstanding, but it has been his spirit, wisdom, and tremendous faith that has set him apart. Thanks Jon – your impact on others has been a gift to us.
An awesome coach, a faithful man… the best!