MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin men's track coach Ed Nuttycombe, arguably the most successful coach in Badgers history, announced his retirement Friday after 30 years with the program.
Nuttycombe won 26 Big Ten titles during his tenure with the track team, including the 2012 outdoor and 2013 indoor championships. No coach in conference history in any sport has won as many championships.
Add in cross country -- a program he was responsible for but didn't directly coach -- and the Badgers won 52 Big Ten championships under Nuttycombe's watch. That number is 15 more than the rest of the league combined since he took over the program in 1984.
"I just feel the time is right," Nuttycombe said Friday in a news release. "There is probably never a ‘good time' to walk away from something that has meant so much to you for so long, but I'm excited about what the future holds for me and my family."
Nuttycombe will remain with the Badgers through the summer, and his official retirement date has not yet been determined. He intends to stay in Madison with his wife, Diane, and continue his involvement with the track program in some capacity.
Since 2000, Wisconsin has won a total of 30 Big Ten titles in cross country and track, with the rest of the conference combining for 10. Ten times under Nuttycombe's direction, the Badgers swept the cross country and indoor and outdoor track titles in the same season to earn the Big Ten "Triple Crown."
"Ed's career is unparalleled," Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez said in a release. "The success is obvious when you look at the numbers, but the way he succeeded with integrity and touched so many people across his program and his sport is what speaks volumes about the job he did as a head coach.
"To be able to adapt to all the changes in society and in student-athletes over the last 30 years while maintaining such a high level of success is truly remarkable."
Nuttycombe's most significant accomplishment as Wisconsin coach came in 2007, when Wisconsin became the first ever Big Ten program to win the NCAA Indoor Championships. The national championship represented one of the Badgers' four NCAA podium finishes under Nottycombe, which included a third-place indoors finish in 2013.
During his career, Nuttycombe earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors 22 times. He also was named Great Lakes Regional Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association 11 times since 1995. His final Coach of the Year honor came this year during the indoor season.
"Looking back, I'm proud of so many things we've accomplished over the years," Nuttycombe said. "But it's especially fulfilling to be able to say that we built a complete program, from cross country and distance runners to sprinters and throwers and decathletes.
"I've had the great fortune to be well supported by our administration, work with some of the best coaches in the sport and coach some tremendous athletes. It's the people that have come through this program that have made it great to be a Badger."
Follow Jesse Temple on Twitter
