Maura Costin Scalise, the head coach of women's swimming at Harvard since 1984, has retired from coaching in order to run her family's business. She made the announcement to her team following last weekend's Eastern Championships at Princeton.

Costin Scalise, a 1980 Harvard graduate, posted an outstanding 105-20 (.840) record in 13 seasons at the helm. She led the Crimson to seven Ivy League titles and four Eastern Championships. Two of her squads finished with undefeated marks and her 1988 team placed 17th at the NCAA Championships, the best finish in program history. A total of 11 Harvard competitors have earned All-America recognition in her tenure.

"My years at Harvard have been rewarding and enjoyable," said Costin Scalise, who will now focus on running a nursing home her family owns on the North Shore. "When I reflect on my tenure, I not only think of the caliber of swimmers and divers who have come through our program, but also the caliber of people I've been fortunate enough to coach and work with.

"I'm proud of our program's accomplishments, but am also excited about the future of Harvard women's swimming," added Costin Scalise, whose youthful 1996-97 squad (nine freshmen on the 20-person roster) finished with a 7-4 record and a fourth-place finish at Easterns. "In addition to having 17 team members back next year, we've already received commitments from five recruits."

A native of Nahant and a 1976 graduate of English High School, where she was a high school All-American in the 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley, Costin Scalise continued her competitive swimming career at Harvard. She was named the Outstanding Ivy League Swimmer in 1976-77 after winning the Ivy title in the 200-yard butterfly and went on to earn All-America accolades in the event. She captained the team as a junior.

Prior to returning to her alma mater, Costin Scalise served an assistant coach at the University of Alabama and the University of Texas and was the head coach at Princeton in 1983-84, where she led the Tigers to a 7-2 record.

Costin Scalise will remain in her coaching post until July 1. The search for her successor will begin immediately.