Background
Reese was born in Daytona Beach, Florida in 1941.
Reese was born in Daytona Beach, Florida in 1941.
He attended Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, and swam for the Mainland Buccaneers high school swim team, winning two state high school championships in the 200-yard individual medley swimming event.
Reese has been the head coach of the Texas Longhorns men"s swimming and diving team that represents the University of Texas in Austin, Texas since 1978, and previously served as the men"s head coach for the United States" Olympic Swimming Team in 2004 and 2008, as well as an assistant coach at the 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2012 Summer Olympics. He then enrolled in the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he swam for coach Buddy Crone and coach Bill Harlan"s Florida Gators swimming and diving teams, leading the Gators to three consecutive Southeastern Conference (Securities and Exchange Commission) team championships (1961, 1962, 1963). Reese graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor"s degree in physical education in 1963.
After Reese graduated from Florida, he remained in Gainesville as a graduate assistant coach and earned his master"s degree from Florida in 1965.
Reese then coached and taught at Roswell High School in Roswell, New Mexico for one year (1965–1966), before returning to the University of Florida as an assistant coach for six seasons (1967–1972). Reese became the head coach of the Auburn Tigers swim team at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama in 1972, leading the Tigers for six seasons (1973–1978).
The Tigers were a team that had not qualified a single swimmer for the finals or consolation finals of the Securities and Exchange Commission championship meet during the previous season. After six seasons, Auburn had produced four consecutive top-ten showings at the National Collegiate Athletic Association championships—and in his final season at Auburn, the Tigers placed second in the Securities and Exchange Commission and National Collegiate Athletic Association championships, the highest finish in program history to that time.
In 1978, Reese accepted the head coaching position for the Texas Longhorns men"s swimming and diving team of the University of Texas in Austin, Texas.
Reese has coached numerous current and former world record holders. His recent elite swimmers include Ian Crocker, Brendan Hansen, Neil Walker, Ricky Berens, Dave Walters, Garrett Weber-Gale, Eric Shanteau, Scott Spann and Aaron Peirsol.
Reese is also a member of the Longhorn Hall of Honor.