Longtime UW-L coach Pat Healy retiring after NCAA championships this weekend

Coach will probably not give his
team the “Win one for the gipper” speech

WAVERLY, Iowa — There are a couple different ways Pat Healy could send his team into the NCAA Division III nationals track and field meet, before he heads off into the sunset.

You see, the longtime University of Wisconsin-La Crosse women’s coach announced his retirement a few weeks ago, as to not take away the spotlight from his athletes, who are trying to repeat as outdoor National Champions. 

Why Healy didn’t retire last year, after sweeping national titles in both the indoor and outdoor seasons? He didn’t really say.

Maybe he wanted back-to-back outdoor titles.

But this is the 25-year UW-L coach’s last hoorah. He knows it. His staff knows it. His athletes know it.

So, he may as well use the fact to his advantage and give his team that motivational boost they need to win it all.

Like the “win one for the Gipper type of thing?” Healy said, jokingly.

Healy wasn’t sure he would have a speech worked out for the championships, which begin today. It’s just something that comes to him based on how he’s feeling beforehand.

But, if he were to use his retirement to get his team going, he could go with the gipper speech. He could go with the stern, ‘You better win this or else,’ speech.” Or, the whole back-to-back titles thing.

It’s the national championships, though – no more motivation needed.

Last year’s titles were Healy’s first in either season. But the coach is no stranger to success in either.

His resume is impressive. Probably good enough to land him another gig, if he changed his mind. Assistant coach Katie Wagner is taking over this one next year – on an interim basis – and she’ll probably be reluctant to give it back to him, if he asks.

As for Healy, in 49 trips to nationals, the Eagles have placed in the Top 10 40 times. 

Today begins No. 50. UW-L is ranked No. 2 in Division III . And it has 14 athletes competing in 14 different events – the most out of any team in the field. SIDE NOTE: The UW-L men are also ranked No. 2 and are sending 19 athletes in 13 events – three of which are 110-meter hurdlers.

The best Healy would do at calling his shot to winning it all – since there are no consequences, he’s retiring – was his saying, “I honestly think we may have as good a shot as several other teams.” It’s not quite pointing that javelin toward the left-field wall.

Back to the resume: Healy’s teams have placed second at nationals seven times – five times indoor (1993, 1999, 2001, 2009, 2014) and twice outdoor (1993, 1997).

He’s led the Eagles to third place six times – three indoor (1996, 2002, 2013) and three outdoor (1995, 2003, 2009).

All in all, in those 49 trips, they’ve been in the Top 5 25 times.

He was named both the indoor and outdoor coach of the year last year – the first time in history it’s happened. It really seems like that would have been the time to go out on top.

Anyway, in his career, Healy has been the indoor coach of the year four times (1997, 2000, 2001, 2015) and outdoor twice (1998, 2015).

As for his athletes, they’ve, of course, been impressive.

In those 25 years, 17 individuals and nine relay teams have come away National Champions. 

Last year, Independence, Wis., native, Bria Halama won the triple jump title.

This is what she remembers in talking to Healy afterward.

“Definitely, at that moment, he was really tearing up, and told me how proud he was of me and how happy he was I came here to La Crosse,” said Halama, who transferred to UW-L from the University of Minnesota. “That was a special moment. Something a father would do, and it was like I knew that really meant a lot to him, because he doesn’t just do that at any time.”

Healy isn’t a very emotional guy. He’s old school, after all. But it happens once in awhile. It may even happen this weekend.

“Well, I’ve been doing this for 40 years,” Healy said with a slight laugh. “Coaching is emotional, no matter what. I think I’ve learned, over the years, to stay as steady as I possibly can. 

“It might end up being a little more emotional than previous. I don’t know. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”