University of Wisconsin-La Crosse head women’s track and field coach Pat Healy has announced his retirement effective at the conclusion of the 2016 outdoor season.
A native of Sweet Home, Healy led the Eagles’ program for 25 years, amassing 21 team trophies (top-four finishes) at the NCAA Division III Indoor and Outdoor Championships. The Eagles have finished in the top 10 in 40 of a possible 49 national championships under Healy, who led UWL to a sweep of the 2015 NCAA III indoor and outdoor titles.
The Eagles captured their first national indoor title as the team recorded 13 All-America honors. Healy led UWL to its third (1983, 1984, 2015) NCAA III outdoor title with 19 individual All-America honors being earned.
For his efforts, Healy was selected the 2015 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Indoor and Outdoor Coach of the Year. He became the third coach in USTFCCCA history to earn the indoor and outdoor coach of the year honors in the same season. It marked Healy’s fourth indoor (1997, 2000, 2001, 2015) and second outdoor (1998, 2015) national coach of the year honors.
Along with the two national titles, Healy has led UWL to five (1993, 1999, 2001, 2009, 2014) second-place finishes at the indoor NCAA III championships and two (1993, 1997) second-place finishes at the outdoor championships during his tenure.
The Eagles have six third-place national finishes, including three indoor (1996, 2002, 2013) and three outdoor (1995, 2003, 2009). UWL placed sixth at the 2016 indoor championships. The Eagles have recorded 25 top-five finishes at the NCAA III Championships under Healy.
He has been selected the USTFCCCA Midwest Region Indoor Coach of the Year three times (1997, 2000, 2001) and Outdoor Coach of the Year once (2014).
UWL has won 16 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) indoor titles under Healy, including 14 of the last 17. He led UWL to the 2016 league championship February 26-27 at UW-Oshkosh as the Eagles captured their fourth consecutive conference indoor championship with five individual and one relay title. Healy collected the 2016 WIAC Indoor Coach of the Year award for the 13th time in his career, including fourth straight. He has been named the WIAC Outdoor Coach of the Year 10 times in his career, including the last four seasons. UWL has won 17 outdoor conference titles under his guidance, including 15 of the last 18.
Healy’s athletes have collected a total of 454 NCAA Division III All-America honors (198 indoor; 256 outdoor). UWL has 17 individual and nine relay national championships in Healy’s tenure. The Eagles have set 24 of 26 indoor school records under Healy and 18 of 27 outdoor records.
The 2015-16 season marks Healy’s 40th year as a track & field coach. Prior to arriving at UWL, he coached at Southern Oregon University, serving as an assistant coach from 1986-90 and as head coach in 1990-91. Healy was an assistant coach at Western Oregon University from 1983-86 and began his coaching career at Dallas (Ore.) High School from 1976-83.
In his 21 years as UWL’s head cross country coach (1991-2011), Healy guided the Eagles to 13 top-10 finishes at the NCAA III Championships.
UWL placed fourth in 2001 and 2005, its best finish ever under Healy. The Eagles captured four (2001, 2002, 2005, 2006) WIAC cross country titles under Healy as he was named the WIAC Coach of the Year each season.
Healy is a 1977 graduate of Western Oregon.
He and his wife, Melanie, and children Caitlyn, Carson and Allison reside in La Crescent, Minn.