Player Bio: Bill Spahn - University of New Mexico Official Athletic Site

Bill Spahn

	Last College: Texas Tech, '64
	Position: Head Coach
	Experience: 24th season

Coaching pool-side has become a way of life for the UNM swimming and diving team's biggest fish. A fixture in the local and regional swimming community, head coach Bill Spahn is entering his 37th year of coaching, and his 24th season as the mentor of the New Mexico swim program.

Spahn graduated from Texas Tech in 1964 where he earned his undergraduate degree in physical education and served as captain of the swim team. He started his coaching career at the Albuquerque Heights YMCA and eventually left Albuquerque to coach the Wichita Swim Club in Kansas. Spahn entered the college ranks in 1977 when he was named head swim coach at the University of Kansas. He proceeded to lead the men's team to two Big Eight Championships in four years. Spahn eventually decided to leave Kansas in1981 and accept the position of head coach at the University of New Mexico.

Coach Spahn has distinguished himself as one of the nation's top swimming coaches since taking over the UNM program. One of his biggest accomplishments was coaching the Lobos to a Western Athletic Conference Championship in 1986, making the University of New Mexico one of only four teams in the WAC to win a championship in the last 14 years. Spahn also led the Lobos to runner-up status in 1990 and 1993. His ability to consistently produce teams that were able to compete for a championship resulted in four WAC Coach-of-the-Year honors for Spahn.

During Spahn's tenure, including his stint as men's coach, a Lobo swimmer has been crowned WAC champion 54 times. This total does not include the women's titles in the High Country Athletic Conference, UNM's conference affiliation before the WAC started women's swimming. Lobo swimmers have earned All-American status under Spahn's guidance 12 times. Last season, five Lobo swimmers and two divers were named to all-MWC teams for their efforts at the conference championships in Oklahoma City, Okla.

A trademark of Lobo swimming under Coach Spahn is his team's competitiveness in the classroom as well as in the pool. In 2002-03 ten swimmers and divers were named to all-MWC academic team, building upon the eight who were named the year before.