Not long after graduating from Southwest Minnesota State in 1975, Brian Luke received a phone call from the Stillwater school district. It was looking for a swim coach who could start immediately.

Luke, who had been an all-conference swimmer and national qualifier for three seasons at Southwest Minnesota State, accepted the job and started the following week. Fifty years later, he is still coaching the girls and boys swimming teams at Stillwater.

This week, Luke will conclude his 50th season as the Ponies girls coach as he has each of the previous 49 seasons — at the girls swimming and diving state meet. Stillwater advanced eight individuals and all three relay teams this year.

There’s a shared timeline in place.

This year’s meet, which begins Thursday at the University of Minnesota’s Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center, is the 50th anniversary of the first MSHSL-sponsored state meet. The first state meet was Nov. 21-22, 1975, and was held at Hamline University in St. Paul. Minnetonka won.

Luke coached the Ponies to a 20th-place finish at the first state meet, in 1975. “We had one swimmer, Sue Sherman, score 15 points in the 50 and 100 breaststrokes,” Luke said.

Since that first meet, Luke has coached the Ponies, who have won 26 consecutive Class 2A, Section 4 titles, to four state titles. They were fourth at last year’s Class 2A state meet.

“Winning four state titles is a cool memory,” said Luke, who was elected to the MSHSL Hall of Fame in 2022. “But I’ve just enjoyed spending time with great kids who put forth their best every day.”

Luke swam for Hopkins High School through his junior year. Bob Johnson was the head coach, and Brian’s dad, Elmer Luke, was the assistant. Before Brian Luke’s senior year, Hopkins split into two high schools, Eisenhower and Lindbergh. Elmer Luke became the head coach at Lindbergh, and Brian Luke swam at Lindbergh during his senior year.

“My father was an assistant coach for 90 percent of my career,” Brian Luke said, “from when I was nine years old until a junior in high school. I probably took more from Bob Johnson’s coaching. My dad was philosophical, so I kind of melded together what I learned from them. But a coach has to have his own personality. The worst thing a coach can do is copy someone.”

Johnson, Brian Luke, Elmer Luke and Lloyd Luke — Brian Luke’s uncle — are all members of the Minnesota High School Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Elmer Luke coached the Hopkins Lindbergh girls team to state titles in 1978 and 1979 and a state record of 124 consecutive dual-meet victories between 1973 and 1987.

During his tenure at Stillwater, Brian Luke’s teams surpassed Lindbergh’s dual-meet winning streak with the assistance of Elmer Luke.

After Elmer Luke retired from Hopkins in 1996, he became a volunteer assistant to his son at Stillwater and continued in that role until he died in 2015. Stillwater began its dual-meet winning streak in 2003 and broke the Lindbergh record in 2015. The Ponies’ dual-meet winning streak stands at 222.

The Ponies won their first state title in 2005 before winning state titles in 2006, 2008 and 2009. They have won the True Team state title seven times.

Between the girls and boys teams at Stillwater, Brian Luke has coached in 1,637 meets. In 2001, he got a commercial driver’s license and started driving buses to transport his teams.

“Since I started in 1975,” said Luke, who is retired from teaching middle school science, “I’ve enjoyed watching the great growth in all girls sports. They are great athletes, dedicated. I applaud them. I still enjoy coaching every day. What is exciting is when the kids surprise you.”

Brian Luke’s coaching career

Stillwater girls

Dual meet record: 429-55-5

Conference titles: 33

Section titles: 26

True Team section titles: 21

True Team state titles: seven

State championships: four

State runner-up: one

Individual state champions: 27 (19 individual, eight relays)

Stillwater boys

Dual meet record: 364-95-3

Conference titles: 23

Section titles: 17

True Team section titles: 14

Individual state champions: 14 (13 individual, one relay)

Combined

Dual meet record: 793-150-8

Individual state champions: 41 (32 individual, nine relay)

Total meets for Stillwater teams: 1,637 (828 girls, 809 boys)

Swimming state meet

At Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center

Thursday

Diving preliminaries

Class 1A: Noon

Class 2A: 6 p.m.

Friday

Swimming preliminaries

Class 1A: Noon

Class 2A: 6 p.m.

Saturday

Swimming and diving finals

Class 1A: Noon

Class 2A: 6 p.m.

Returning state champions

Class 2A

200 medley relay: Edina

200 freestyle: Lydia Cameron, Minnetonka

200 IM: Logan Havermann, East Ridge

200 free relay: Minnetonka

100 breaststroke: Havermann

400 free relay: Edina

Class 1A

200 medley relay: Monticello

200 freestyle: Graycin Andreen, Orono

200 freestyle relay: Orono

100 backstroke: Alaina Biebl, Mounds Park Academy/St. Croix Prep

400 freestyle relay: Delano

Note: Adalynn Biegler of Monticello won the Class 1A 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle last year. She is swimming in the 100 butterfly and 200 freestyle this year.