Arizona has parted ways with swimming and diving head coach Augie Busch after seven seasons, the school announced Friday.
Busch’s dismissal is the first major personnel move by new athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois.
“We thank Coach Busch for his service to Arizona and wish him well in the future,” Reed-Francois said in a statement. “Our Swimming and Diving program has a championship legacy, an outstanding home facility in the Hillenbrand Aquatic Center and incredible support, and we are confident that we will attract elite candidates. We will work quickly to find a new head coach who is the best fit to continue building our championship culture.”
Arizona will conduct a national search for its next head coach immediately.
The Wildcats men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs sunk to the bottom of the Pac-12 in recent years under Busch.
The men’s team placed 32nd at NCAA Championships in 2023, its worst showing since the 1970s. The team improved slightly in 2024, finishing 27th at NCAAs.
The women’s team scored no points at the 2024 NCAAs.
Busch took over the Arizona program in 2017, six years after his father, Frank Busch, stepped down as head coach. Under Frank Busch, Arizona was considered one of the premier swimming programs in the country. The Arizona men’s and women’s teams both national championships in 2008.
Several former swimmers and assistants under Frank Busch are now coaches at other D1 programs and could make potential candidates for the Arizona opening.
SwimSwam.com put together a comprehensive list of possible candidates.
Among the top names from the Frank Busch coaching tree are Florida Gulf Coast head coach Dave Rollins, Florida associate head coach Whitney Hite and SMU head coach Greg Rhodenbaugh.