For more than four decades, Pete Hovland has created a dynasty as OU’s swimming and diving head coach, pushing the program to incredible prestige. From athlete to coach, Hovland has found success in the water, applying lessons learned from mentors along the way.

Growing up in California, Hovland learned to swim at a young age — with an abundance of neighborhood pools in the area, water safety was a must. “In the summertime, everybody hung out by the pool and the lifeguards decided to start a small swim team with all of the kids running around,” says Hovland.

Swimming was his niche, so he and his friends joined the local swim team at the San Jose YMCA, which later merged with the renowned Santa Clara Swim Club, hailed as the premier U.S. swim club in the 1960s and 70s.

Hovland was recruited to California State University-Chico, where he swam under legendary coach Ernest “Ernie” Maglischo, Ph.D., whose revolutionary methods still deeply influence Hovland’s coaching style today. “He was a scientist. He took the sport to another level and is considered one of the brightest swimming minds in the world,” says Hovland. “He has written some of the best books on the sport, and we didn’t know it at the time, but we were kind of his guinea pigs while he was writing his first book.”

Named the 1976 NCAA Division II Swimmer-of-the-Year, Hovland became a decorated college athlete, winning four NCAA championships with his team and becoming a 23-time All-American and 13-time national champion before he stepped into coaching. “I realized that was where my passion was, and I wanted to be like Dr. Maglischo,” says Hovland.

His OU journey began in 1979 when he followed his mentor, Maglischo, to be an assistant coach. “I knew of Oakland because we swam against them at the national championships. They were one of the top five teams in the country,” Hovland says.

In the 1979-80 season, the new OU coaches celebrated immediate success, taking the men’s team to first place in the national championship. Hovland says that winning right away and learning from his mentor were some of the most rewarding moments of his career.

Forty-four years later, Hovland’s path at OU has been lined with shining success. Tied for second-longest tenured coach among current NCAA Division I coaches, he has pushed the program to astounding accomplishments. He has led his swimmers to national championships, competing in the Olympics, and countless conference and individual titles.

“You are perpetually around 18- to 22-year-olds. They all have goals and ambitions, and they all come in excited. It’s fun. I just really enjoy it,” he says. “You get up at 4:30 every morning for all these years. I don’t know anything different. It’s definitely a lifestyle; it’s a passion. It’s in the fabric of who I am.”

Just like Hovland had been impacted by his mentor to go into coaching more than 40 years ago, the OU swimming and diving program has produced a large pool of coaches throughout the years. From coaching local competitive clubs to top college teams, and even being part of an Olympic staff, OU alumni are impacting the next generation of swimmers all over the country.  

“I’d like to think that Ernie is as proud of me as I am proud of the others that came from my coaching tree,” says Hovland.

Pete Hovland retires from Oakland University on May 7, 2023