Mike Swider was inducted into the Wheaton Athletics Hall of Honor in 2021 following his retirement as head coach in 2019. A 1977 graduate of Wheaton, Swider was involved in Wheaton football for 39 seasons, beginning with four years as a student-athlete on the football team (1973-76). He returned to Wheaton as defensive coordinator, serving in that role for 11 seasons from 1985-95. He has served as head coach for 24 seasons (1996-2019).
In 24 seasons as Wheaton's head coach, Swider earned 209 career wins, a mark that ranks 14th among active NCAA head football coaches at any level. He has a career winning percentage of 80.1-percent with a 209-52 record as head coach. He is ninth among active Division III head football coaches in winning percentage and 13th in Division III in winning percentage.
Swider compiled a 140-34 record (80.5%) in CCIW play as Wheaton's head coach. His 140 wins in conference play ranks third all-time in league history. Swider guided Wheaton to nine CCIW Championships, a mark that is tied for-second most in conference history. He was selected as the CCIW "Coach of the Year" seven times, the second highest total for one head coach in conference history. In 2019, he guided Wheaton to the CCIW Championship with a perfect 9-0 record in conference play.
Wheaton appeared in the NCAA Division III Playoffs 10 times in Swider's 24 seasons as head coach. The program accumulated a 15-10 postseason record in that time, with one Semifinal appearance (2008) and four Quarterfinal games (2003, 2008, 20016 and 2019). He guided Wheaton to a pair of 12-win seasons (2003 and 2019) establishing school single-season records for victories in both of those campaigns.
