Rick DeMont, the Arizona Wildcats swimming great who became a longtime UA assistant and head coach, announced Monday he is retiring following 30 years with the program.
The UA made the announcement around 4 p.m. with a news release. DeMont will stay on as head coach until his replacement is named. The coach is making $143,000 in base pay this year, according to UA documents.Â
"There is never a right time to make a decision like this and I thought long and hard about it," said DeMont, 61. "I've been coaching here for 30 years, and despite the offer of a two-year extension, I decided that now is the right time to move on. I've given everything I have to Arizona swimming and diving and I'm looking forward to spending more time with my family and pursuing other passions. I want to thank the administration, staff and student-athletes for making this a wonderful journey and I look forward to seeing what the program can do in the coming years."
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DeMont enrolled at the UA in 1977 as one of the top freestyle swimmers in the country. He held the world record in the 1,500-meter freestyle, the 400-meter freestyle and 4x100-meter freestyle. He was named an eight-time collegiate All-American — DeMont spent two years at Washington, then took two years off before enrolling at the UA. DeMont is a national, Pan-American, World and Olympic champion.
DeMont joined Arizona's coaching staff as an assistant in 1987, and spent more than 25 years under both Frank Busch and Eric Hansen. DeMont was elevated to acting head coach when Hansen resigned in January 2014, and formally took over the program shortly thereafter.
DeMont is an accomplished artist who has been featured throughout town and an accomplished businessman; he and his wife Carrie own the DeMont Family Swim School on Ina Road.
DeMont's departure marks the first major hurdle faced by athletic director Dave Heeke, who was hired April 1 to replace Greg Byrne. In a statement, Heeke thanked DeMont for his contributions to the program.
"We know this was a tough decision for him, but one he felt he needed to make," he said. "His contribution to our program can be seen throughout the record books and his knowledge and aptitude will certainly be missed. Rocket is a true Wildcat. We wish him all the best as he transitions into the next stage of his life and congratulate him on a fabulous career."
