Courtesy: WVU Sports
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University swimming and diving head coach Vic Riggs announced the addition of James Washbish to the staff as an assistant coach for the 2023-24 season on Tuesday.
“I am very pleased to welcome James and Kathryn to the Mountaineer swimming and diving family,” Riggs said. “I really enjoyed getting to know James during the interview process and feel his energy, knowledge and excitement for swimming will be a great addition to the program.”
“I am extremely excited to be joining the West Virginia University swim and dive family,” Washbish said. “I would like to thank Vic, Rick [West], Lauren [Cassano], Karla [Helder] and Brittney [O’Dell] for this amazing opportunity.”
Washbish joins the staff with eight years of college coaching experience with stops at Kentucky and Ohio.
Washbish recently served as the assistant swim coach for the Bobcats from 2021-23. In this role, he primarily coached the distance and middle-distance freestyle swimmers, created and organized recruiting visits and helped lead fundraising for the program.
Prior to Ohio, Washbish was the head swim coach at Lafayette High School in Lexington, Kentucky. Washbish led the women’s team to a third-place finish at the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) state meet in 2021.
Washbish also spent four years at Kentucky as a volunteer assistant coach from 2015-19. In this position, he helped with team management, administrative procedures and other team needs.
Washbish earned a Bachelor of Science in Community and Leadership Development at Kentucky.