The longest tenured member of the athletic staff at Babson College, Rick Echlov directed the men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs for 32 seasons. Hired to run the men’s program in 1984, he became the women’s first coach a year later. His retirement last month was the end of an era.
Under his tutelage, Babson men and women combined for nearly 400 victories and made 12 appearances at the NCAA Division 3 championships. His men’s program finished .500 or better in dual meets in 26 of his 32 seasons. “The legacy that Rick has created is simply incredible,’’ said Babson athletic director Josh MacArthur.
Echlov was a standout baseball player at Newton North High, once stealing a Suburban League record seven bases in a game against Waltham. He also played basketball for the Tigers and at Newton Junior College. A 1973 graduate of the University of New Haven, where he was an outfielder on the baseball team, Echlov coached the Wellesley High girls’ swim team from 1979-88, winning six Bay State League championships, five South titles and the 1988 state Division 1 championship and posting a cumulative 82-17 record.
Echlov, 64, resides in Natick with his wife, Nancy, head of the math department at the Dexter-Southfield School in Brookline and their two Golden Retrievers. Their son, Russell, played squash and tennis at Dartmouth College and is a financial manager in New York City.
Q. How did you get your start as a swimming coach?
A. At Brae Burn Country Club. I found out that the kids could swim much better than I did, but I had a great baseball coach at Newton North in Howie Ferguson and other coaches who taught me a lot about coaching style and discipline.
Q. And how did you build off that start?
A. I did some serious studying of the sport. I took college courses and, as an assistant at Babson, I would seek other college coaches at clinics and meets to keep up with techniques and to better understand motivation. Don Megerle at Tufts was a mentor.
Q. How did you make the connection with Babson?
A. Our Wellesley team practiced there and I met [former Babson athletic director and swim coach] Bob Hartwell. His wife, Fran, was the college’s diving coach and we taught together at Tenacre Country Day School.
Q. Was it a tough decision to retire?
A. Retiring is always a hard decision. I also work at the Dana Hall School as director of external programs and I chose to stay with Dana Hall and have more free time which I had been thinking about for awhile.
Q. What is retirement like so far?
A. My wife and I just went on a three-day trip to Maine and although it’s hard to believe, other than a cruise to Alaska, that’s our longest vacation in many years. I’m also planning to spend serious time with our three grandchildren.
Q. What was your message as Babson coach?
A. Stressing that education came first as long as you made the most of your time at practice and that you truly wanted to be the best you could be.
Q. What is the lasting impression of your swimmers?
A. That we were family. I was there for them when they needed me and they were there for me when I needed support. When I sent out the email that I was retiring, the response from swimmers and divers, past and present, was overwhelming.
Q. Describe the feeling of winning the ’88 girls state title?
A. The previous year we walked out of the state meet after the MIAA had declared five of our swimmers ineligible. The rule was ambiguous. We stood together as a team and school that year and worked even harder in ’88 when we ended Acton Boxboro’s long run as champions.
Q. What did you do to get away from work in the short time available?
A. Going to fishing tournaments in the Belgrade Lakes area of Maine for the past 25 years. Cash prizes are given for catching the biggest large mouth bass and biggest small mouth bass and the highlight for me was first prize of $70 – quite a while ago.
Q. In what way did your coaches at Newton North positively influence you?
A. The personal interest they took in me was something I’ve emulated as a coach.
MARVIN PAVE
For full interview, go to bostonglobe.com/west.
