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| Southwestern athletics file photo |
Southwestern head football coach Joe Austin announced on Monday his decision to retire after an 11-season tenure with the Pirates. Austin will officially step down on July 26, 2024.
Reflecting on his decision, Austin shared, "After twenty-five years of treasured relationships and memorable moments, I am retiring from college football," in an announcement Monday night on X.
"For the first time in my adult life I am putting the needs of my aging parents ahead of the needs of administrators, the needs of my wife ahead of the needs of the coaching staff, and the needs of my daughter ahead of the needs of other people’s children," the social media post continued.
Bill Kriesel to serve as interim head coach for the 2024 season. He has been defensive coordinator at Southwestern since 2015.
Austin was appointed as the head coach in 2012, marking the return of football to Southwestern after a 62-year hiatus. Under his leadership, the Pirates quickly rose to prominence. In just four years, Austin guided the team to win the SCAC championship in 2016, an achievement that included a perfect 6–0 conference record in a four-team conference which played each of its three opponents twice and was too small to receive an automatic bid. This accomplishment earned him the SCAC Coach of the Year title and marked Southwestern's first football championship since 1941.
Southwestern is 36-68 since it revived football.
"Since 2012, Coach Joe Austin has been devoted to Southwestern University and to the Pirate football team. Please join me in thanking him for reviving our program and mentoring our players. The Southwestern community wishes him all the best with his retirement from college football. We are grateful for the leadership he has demonstrated both on and off the field," said Southwestern president Laura Skandera Trombley.
Throughout his tenure, Austin has been instrumental in recruiting and developing top talent, including two All-Americans, seven conference Player of the Year winners, and 108 all-conference selections.
"Joe Austin has been a great representative of Southwestern University and its football program. His 2016 championship team remains a source of immense pride on campus. He always maintained a clean, well-organized, and competitive program where students worked hard and earned their degrees. We appreciate Joe's cooperation during this transition and wish him well as he embarks on the next chapter of his personal and professional life," said athletic director Ken Ralph.