Ryan Morgan/For the Review

The head coach of Linfield’s swimming program will retire after this 2013-2014 season.

Gary Gutierrez, also Linfield’s aquatics director, has had a successful 16-year career as head coach of the swim team. Gutierrez has headed Linfield’s swimming program since 1998. He is the longest tenured coach in the program’s history.

Gutierrez was named the Northwest Conference’s women’s coach of the year in 2002. 

He was also named the Northwest Conference’s men’s coach of the year in 2005 and then again in 2009.

Under Gutierrez’s guidance, Linfield swimmers set 13 individual records and one relay record.

“[Gary] is a wonderful guy. I had a great year with him,” freshman Christopher Hu said. 

“I enjoyed my year with Gary. I learned a lot from his knowledge on swimming technique,” freshman Jonathan Williams wrote in an email. “He helped my breaststroke a lot.”

Gutierrez graduated from the University of Oregon in 1977 with a degree in romance languages. He proceeded to attain the requirements of a second major in physical education from the University of Wisconsin in 1979.

Gutierrez will remain at Linfield as a part time instructor in the HHPA department. 

A national search is underway to find Gutierrez’s replacement.