Cal Bentz began his swimming career at Nebraska in 1951 when he joined the Men's Swimming Team as a college freshman.  He was team captain for his junior and senior years.  After a brief career as a middle school and high school teacher and coach he returned to the University as an assistant coach in 1962-63.  He then returned to Omaha to coach for fifteen years at Westside High School in Omaha, where his boys and girls teams won a combined fifteen Nebraska State High School swim champinsonships.  In 1978 Athletic Director Bob Devaney asked Bentz to be the Head Coach of the Nebraska Men’s Swim Team.

Under Bentz, the Men's Swim Team by 1996 had won 15 Big 8 Conference Championships.  In 1992 Bentz was asked to coach both the Men's and the Women's Swim teams.  The Women's Team also saw succes, winning both Big 8 and Big 12 Conference Championships.  During his years at Nebraska Coach Bentz was named Conference Coach of the year six times and the program produced 21 Olympians including international record breakers Peter Williams, Penny Heyns, Therese Alshammer, and Adam Pine.

Coach Bentz retired in January of 2001 as Head Coach, a position he had held for 22+ years when NCAA Violations were brought against the UNL Swim Team.  Since then Bentz, now 79, has coached and organized the Greater Nebraska Swim Team club, with young swimmers from Lincoln and other out-state swim clubs combining efforts in various competitive events in the state and elsewhere.

 An interview with Cal Bentz on his life and career