U.S. Ski Team Head Men's Coach Retires

Longtime U.S. Ski Team Head Men’s Alpine Coach Bill Egan will be retiring from his post to spend more time with his family, but he will remain through August while a search for his successor is conducted.Park City, UT, May 14, 2001–Longtime U.S. Ski Team Head Men’s Alpine Coach Bill Egan is retiring, according to U.S. Ski Team Vice President of AthleticsAlan Ashley. Egan, who has coached since 1989 and has overseen the men’s alpine staff since 1997, decided to leave the intense team travel scheduleto spend more time with his family. Egan will remain with the Ski Team through the middle of August as a search for his successor is conducted.

With the Ski Team, Egan and other coaches travel approximately nine months a year. He joined the Team as a strength and conditioning coach in 1989and was named head men’s downhill coach two years later. He took over as head men’s coach beginning with the 1998 Olympic season.

“We’ll certainly miss Bill, but we’re blessed with the work he’s accomplished in building a strong and stable staff of coaches for both our men’stechnical (slalom and giant slalom) and speed (downhill and super G programs),” said Ashley. “Bill’s knowledge, experience and positive team-buildingattitude have helped to bring this team to a new level of professionalism.”

“I’m comfortable I’m leaving the program in good hands,” said Egan. “We have the strongest program ever, with the best staff, the best funding and thebest athletes. The future’s rosey. I’ll be cheering for the guys to continue to win. But I’m looking forward to the change for me personally, to spendmore time with my wife in our home.”

Egan, who served four seasons as head men’s alpine coach, established head coaches for each discipline after the 1998 Olympics which have helped toshape the Team today. Egan named former U.S. Ski Team athlete Jesse Hunt to head the men’s technical program, which has produced strong resultswith Erik Schlopy and Bode Miller. Schlopy this past season was third in the season-long World Cup giant slalom – the best U.S. World Cup finish since1983. And he named former Canadian coach Dale Stephens to head the speed program. Stephens has gained tremendous respect from his athletes,helping spearhead the success of Chad Fleischer and World Champion Daron Rahlves.

Hunt and Stephens will continue their roles of managing the day-to-day activities of the technical and speed programs. Ashley plans to replace Egan’sposition of overall program administrator but said has no specific timetable.

“The key for us is that we have strong program coaches in place, which we have,” said Ashley. “That will allow us to take the time to search for areplacement for Bill who can meet our needs in terms of leadership for the future.”

Egan, a former teacher and football coach at Saddleback Community College in Southern California for 18 years , plans to teach and coach at BishopHigh School, also in California.

Egan and his wife Maggie live in Bishop, Calif., not far from Mammoth Mountain.