IU swimming and diving associate head coach Dennis Dale has spent more than three decades as a coach in the Big Ten, but his storied career is coming to a close.
With his brief stint at IU winding down and the longtime coach set to retire at the end of the season, Dale’s coworkers and swimmers alike are reflecting on the mark he left both in and out of the pool.
“He’s just a great guy,” IU Coach Ray Looze said. “He’s a legend. He’s one of the greatest Big Ten swimming coaches that’s ever been in the conference.”
Dale, who is in his third year as an assistant with the Hoosiers, will retire at the end of this season. He spent 29 years as the men’s head coach at Minnesota prior to arriving at IU in 2014.
Junior swimmer Blake Pieroni said Dale has been a great mentor for him in his life away from the pool.
“He’s a huge proponent of grades and all kinds of getting a good GPA and getting into life after swimming, which I know helps people,” Pieroni said.
Dale began his coaching career at Burnsville High School in Burnsville, Minnesota, where he won four state championships. In 1985, he moved on to his alma mater, Minnesota, where he brought the program to heights it hadn’t reached since the 1920s.
In his time with the Golden Gophers, Dale led the team to seven Big Ten Championships, including the program’s first since 1926. He also coached 181 Academic All-Big Ten honorees and 31 Academic All-Americans.
Despite all the success through the decades, Dale’s time at Minnesota abruptly ended after the 2013-2014 season. After 29 years, one of the most important figures in Minnesota swimming and diving history was unceremoniously relieved of his duties.
“Leaving the University of Minnesota as a coach, under the conditions I left, was extremely painful and hurtful,” Dale said. “And I thought, ‘How can they treat people this way?’ I was angry, mad and hurt. That part, you know, hasn’t gone away.”
According to Dale, Minnesota never gave him a reason for his release. He said the school told him it was not firing him, but it would not renew his contract. A Minnesota spokesperson could not provide details surrounding Dale’s departure from the school further than his dates of employment.
After parting ways with Minnesota, Dale said he seriously contemplated whether he wanted to coach again. After so many years with a single program, he said he wasn’t sure that he would be able to find a logical fit.
However, when Looze and the Hoosiers came calling, Dale was intrigued by the opportunity in Bloomington despite his slightly checkered past with the head man at IU.
“Dennis and I fought a lot,” Looze said. “Screamed at each other in Big Ten meetings, and, you know, it was not pleasant. I didn’t like him. He didn’t like me, mostly for competitive reasons.”
Although Dale and Looze might’ve had their differences, a job at IU offered Dale a matchup against his former school during Big Ten season.
Once settled at IU, Dale was able to refocus on the sport he loved. Upon Dale’s arrival, Looze gave control of the male swimming sprinters to Dale.
“I mean, you don’t have to worry about that area of the team,” Looze said. “He’s one of the best male sprint coaches in the country, and you pretty much know what you’re going to get.”
Dale was also instrumental in the transformation of the relay culture for IU swimming. When Looze eyed Dale for the job, the success of the famed Minnesota relay teams was a huge appeal.
Dale’s Minnesota relay teams won 38 Big Ten titles. Pieroni said success translated to Dale’s time in Bloomington.
“He’s a huge relay guy,” Pieroni said. “Even at Minnesota, Ray would tell us stories about how you couldn’t beat Dennis on the 400 relay.”
The Hoosiers took home four of the five relay events at the men’s Big Ten Championships this year.
Now, with the NCAA Championships beginning March 22, Dale will try to enjoy his last ride through championship season before retirement.
“I’m going to miss the opportunity to work with young men and women,” Dale said. “I think coaching these collegiate athletes helps keep you young.”
Once retired, Dale plans to split his time between Minneapolis and Florida while enjoying his hobbies of golf and fishing. Looze and the IU program will miss the huge mark he’s left on the team in such a short time.
“He’s been a wonderful colleague,” Looze said. “You know, he told me we’ll do this one to three years and we got three years, so I feel very blessed that we kind of got the maximum amount of time with him.”
