GREEN BAY, Wis. – Tom Stover, a legendary coach for the Green Bay swimming and diving program, has announced his retirement.

Stover spent nearly two decades coaching in Titletown, having arrived in 2005. Of the program's 10 championships between the men's and women's teams, Stover helped the Phoenix collect seven of them, all consecutively from 2005-2011. Stover was extremely impactful, coaching 12 individual conference champions and 15 NCAA Zone qualifiers, including most recently in 2022-23 with Miles Rohrbaugh. His work earned him eight Horizon League Coach of the Year awards.

"It certainly has been quite the journey for me," said Stover. "The legendary Green Bay Phoenix Head Swimming Coach, Jim Merner, offered me a part-time position as Head Diving Coach for the Phoenix men's and women's diving team. I thought I would just try this job for a couple of years…but 19 years later, here I am retiring."

"I am so grateful for all the men and women who were on the many teams I was able to coach," Stover continued. "Their excitement and passion to learn and grow in their sports was very rewarding for me. I want to especially recognize and thank the four head coaches I have worked with while at Green Bay: Jim Merner, Reed Robelot, Eddie Gille, and Alex Lewis. I also want to thank Josh Moon and Kassie Wagner for their continued support of Phoenix Diving. Finally, I must recognize and thank my wife, Maggie. Coaching is a lifestyle and it can demand much from a family. Luckily, our three daughters, Lindsey, Anna & Kayla, joined the swimming and diving teams, so it was a family affair for many years. Without Maggie's love, support, encouragement, and understanding, I could not have continued coaching for this long."

"Tom is a legend in Phoenix Country," said Director of Athletics Josh Moon. "He has done so much for this program and the University over the years. He helped keep the program together during some challenging times and he has helped countless student-athletes reach their full potential. We will miss Tom dearly."

Stover also helped Green Bay swim and dive athletes achieve success in the classroom. The fall of 2023 marked the second-highest team GPA for the men's program (3.40), while the women's program tied for the second-highest team GPA with a 3.74. Six Phoenix (three from each team) were named to the Horizon League All-Academic team as a result.

"Coach Stover has been the focal point of Green Bay Diving for 19 years," commented Head Coach Alex Lewis. "We are incredibly thankful for his dedication to this program, the University, and the swimming and diving community here in Green Bay. His impact will be felt for years to come at UW-Green Bay. We wish him a happy retirement!".

"Tom was an answer to my dreams of finding the best person for a quality coach that our divers could rely upon," commented Merner. "Without Tom Stover and his contributions, I do not think we would have earned and enjoyed the success we saw in the years he and I were together. He became a good friend during those years. It was an honor to have been around him and to have learned from a true educator that he was. I could not have asked for anything better. I was very thankful that way back Tom agreed to join our program."

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