Virginia athletics director Craig Littlepage announced today head men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach Augie Busch is leaving Virginia to become the head men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach at Arizona. Busch has directed the Virginia program the past four seasons.
Busch graduated from Arizona in 1998 and served as an assistant coach for eight years under his father, Frank Busch. Busch began his head coach career at Houston, where he directed the women’s program for two seasons before coming to Virginia. Busch replaces Rick DeMont at Arizona. He announced his retirement in May following 30 years as an assistant coach and head coach with the Wildcats.
“The opportunity to return to the University of Arizona as the head coach of the men’s and women’s swimming and diving program is both unexpected and thrilling,” Busch said in a statement released by Arizona’s athletics department. “Tucson is not only the place of my fondest family and college memories, but of my proudest professional accomplishments as well.”
“Our swimming and diving programs had a number of outstanding accomplishments during Augie’s four years at UVA and I would like to thank him for all he did while directing the program,” Littlepage said. “We wish him luck as he returns to his roots in Arizona.”
In four seasons under Busch’s guidance, the Cavalier women won three ACC Championships and posted two fifth-place finishes at the NCAA Championships, the best finishes in program history. The Cavaliers saw 11 individuals earn 25 All-America honors and 22 honorable mention All-America honors, while producing nine All-America relays and eight honorable mention All-America relays. In four seasons, the Cavaliers set 30 school records, eight ACC records and three NCAA records. Based on these accomplishments, Busch was named the ACC Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year three times.
In addition to the overall accolades at Virginia, Busch tutored Leah Smith to four NCAA freestyle titles, while Courtney Bartholomew earned four NCAA runner-up finishes in the backstroke. The Cavalier women posted the top relay finish in school history (second in the 400 medley relay in 2015) and recorded the school’s single-season record for NCAA finalist relays with four in 2016.
A national search for the next head coach will be conducted. Littlepage did not specify a time frame for completing the search. The athletics department will not make further comments on the search for the next head coach until the process is complete.
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