Induction Video
(Written: July 2018)
Tom Prior served as UW-Eau Claire’s swimming & diving coach for three decades. As the men’s coach from 1969-99, his teams won 25 conference championships and finished in the top 10 at the national meet 24 times. The Blugolds won 19 consecutive conference crowns from 1978-96 and finished as the NAIA national runner-up in 1978, 1979 and 1988. UW-Eau Claire also compiled a 234-49 dual meet record (.826 winning percentage).
In 21 seasons as women’s coach, UW-Eau Claire secured 19 conference championships, including 18 straight from 1980-97. The Blugolds also claimed NAIA championships in 1983, 1987 and 1988, with the 1983 title being the first for any team in UW-Eau Claire history. UW-Eau Claire’s women’s teams produced a 132-25-1 dual meet record (.838 winning percentage) under his guidance. During a 14-year stretch, the Blugolds never placed lower than fifth in the NAIA meet. During his tenure, 140 men and 102 women earned All-America distinction, including 35 national championships.
Prior earned a level five classification, the highest level attainable, from the American Swim Coaches Association and was awarded the two highest awards of Master Coach and Distinguished Coach from the organization. He was the men’s NAIA Coach of the Year in 1976 and both the men’s and women’s NAIA Coach of the Year in 1987.
In the summer of 1991, he served as swim coach for the Papua New Guinea National Team, which participated in the South Pacific Games. During the 1991-92 academic year, Prior was president of the NAIA Swim Coaches Association after stints as secretary and vice-president. He was a six-year member of the rules and sites committee and chair of the scholar-athlete committee from 1983 to 1993.
Prior was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1993, NAIA District 14 Hall of Fame in 1994 and UW-Eau Claire Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2012, he was named the WIAC Men’s Swimming & Diving and Women’s Swimming & Diving All-Time Coach in conjunction with the conference’s Centennial Celebration.