Marshall University Athletics
Herd Swimming Assistant Walsh Named Assistant at Cal
4/20/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Marshall University assistant swimming coach Ian Walsh has been named to the same position at the University of California-Berkeley. Walsh has been instrumental in the meteoric rise of Marshall's swimming and diving program.
This season, Marshall achieved its highest Conference USA Championship finish in school history, placing third, only 18 points out of second place.
"I am so happy for Ian," Marshall coach Bill Tramel said. "When I first hired him three years ago, he came to Marshall eager to learn and improve as a coach. He is a quick learner, and the results his swimmers have enjoyed since I handed him our sprint group are exceptional."
In Walsh's new position at Cal, he will work alongside coach Teri McKeever, the 2012 U.S. Olympic coach. Cal has won four NCAA team championships under McKeever and finished third at the 2016 NCAA Championships.
"Ian is a young, enthusiastic coach whose passion for the profession will be an inspiration for all of us," McKeever said. "While he is still early in his career, he has learned from a strong set of mentors and I hope to continue in that fashion for him. Having been a competitive swimmer and coached at the collegiate and club levels, he brings a diverse set of experiences that will be an asset for our program. We are excited to welcome him and his fiancée, Sarah, to our Golden Bear family."ââ'¬â€¹
"I cannot thank Bill enough for giving me the opportunity to coach at the NCAA Division 1 level at Marshall," Walsh said. "Bill has learned from some of the best coaches in the country. He shared so much of his knowledge and experiences with me and really took me under his wing. I have become a better coach and individual through my time at Marshall. I'm very excited and confident the knowledge I have gained will serve me well as I continue my career at Cal."
Tramel said Walsh's performance fit the template for Herd swimming and diving.
"Personal improvement is what defines our program," Tramel said. "Not only in our athletes, but our coaching staff as well. Ian has a thirst for knowledge and he will thrive under Teri McKeever's tutelage.ââ'¬â€¹ Many of my past assistants and swimmers have moved on to do great things in coaching. This is Ian's opportunity.
"My former swimmer, Yuri Suguiyama, coached Olympic Gold Medalist Katie Ledecky, and Yuri is now the men's associate head coach at Cal. Catherine Vogt, who swam for me at North Carolina, is the top assistant coach at USC and was just named the 2016 U.S. Olympic open water coach. Casey Coble is head coach at Lancaster Aquatic Club and produces national level high school swimmers every year. My former assistant, Tim Loeffler, is head coach at Division 1 UIC (Illinois-Chicago) at age 28.
"While I'm incredibly sad to see Ian move on, I also understand that this is part of the process. Now I look forward to sharing my knowledge with our next assistant coach."
More information on Walsh's hiring at Cal is available in that university's announcement.
---Herdzone.com---
