Marshall University Athletics
Walsh Returns as Marshall’s Head Swimming and Diving Coach
10/24/2018 11:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Former Cal, Buffalo assistant comes back to Huntington
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Ian Walsh has been named Marshall's head swimming and diving coach, Thundering Herd Director of Athletics Mike Hamrick announced Wednesday. Walsh returns to Huntington after a stint as the program's assistant coach from 2013-16.
Walsh had been the assistant coach at the University at Buffalo for the 2017-2018 season. During his time in Buffalo, the program saw its highest finish at the Mid-American Conference Championships and scored the highest point total in program history. Academically, the Bulls led the athletic department with the highest Team GPA across all sports in both the Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 semesters. Walsh also helped lead his student-athletes to two conference titles, two first-team All-MAC honors and four second-team All-MAC Honors.
Prior to that, he was on the staff at California. In his season at Berkeley, Walsh was able to help guide the Golden Bears to a second-place finish at the NCAA Championships while also posting four individual national champions and two relay team national champions. The 200 Freestyle Relay and 200 Medley Relay national titles also set NCAA, meet and U.S. Open records. With Walsh's assistance, the Golden Bears raced to a second-place finish in the Pac-12 Championships, while also posting five school records throughout the season.
Walsh was also named to the 2017-18 national team coaching staff for his assistance with Katie McLaughlin and Abbey Weitzeil during their summer campaign. Both athletes were named to the team, with Weitzeil qualifying for the World Championships, representing the USA in Budapest, Hungary.
During his tenure at Marshall, the Thundering Herd broke women's swimming school records 28 times, finished a program-best third at the Conference USA Championships in February 2016 and produced four individual conference champions. Walsh primarily worked with the sprinters and middle-distance swimmers and served as the recruiting coordinator at Marshall. In 2015, the program was named one of the top 16 most improved teams at the NCAA Division I level and, in the fall of 2014, sported a fall team GPA of 3.53, which ranked as the fifth-highest in the country among women's swimming teams.
"Marshall Athletics is very excited to welcome Ian and his family back to Huntington," said Hamrick. "We are confident in his vision for our swimming and diving program and are eager for him to get started."
While at Marshall, Walsh also served as head coach of the YMCA Charleston Aquatic Team from 2013-16.
Walsh spent one year as the head assistant coach at Albright College in Pennsylvania prior to his term at Marshall. He helped lead the men's and women's swimmers to a combined 13 school records and 19 individual or relay conference championships. Both teams captured the 2013 Middle Atlantic Conference title, and Walsh was part of a staff that received the league's Coach of the Year award.
"I want to thank Athletic Director Mike Hamrick and Associate AD Beatrice Crane Banford for this opportunity," Walsh said. "I'm excited to join the Marshall family once again and continue the tradition of excellence in the pool and the classroom. I look forward to getting to know our current team, put together an exceptional staff and continue to recruit student-athletes that share the same passion for this university and athletic program. My wife Sarah and our daughter Ella are excited to get back to Huntington."
Walsh began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Bloomsburg University, where he implemented dryland and weight training programs for the sprint and middle-distance groups, as well as managed on-deck coaching responsibilities.
As an undergraduate student, Walsh had a stellar career at Duquesne University, setting school records in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke and being a member of two medley relays that set school marks. He won the Atlantic 10 title in the 100 breaststroke in 2009.
Walsh received his degree in business administration in 2010 from Duquesne and later earned his master's degree in business education from Bloomsburg University in 2011.
Walsh had been the assistant coach at the University at Buffalo for the 2017-2018 season. During his time in Buffalo, the program saw its highest finish at the Mid-American Conference Championships and scored the highest point total in program history. Academically, the Bulls led the athletic department with the highest Team GPA across all sports in both the Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 semesters. Walsh also helped lead his student-athletes to two conference titles, two first-team All-MAC honors and four second-team All-MAC Honors.
Prior to that, he was on the staff at California. In his season at Berkeley, Walsh was able to help guide the Golden Bears to a second-place finish at the NCAA Championships while also posting four individual national champions and two relay team national champions. The 200 Freestyle Relay and 200 Medley Relay national titles also set NCAA, meet and U.S. Open records. With Walsh's assistance, the Golden Bears raced to a second-place finish in the Pac-12 Championships, while also posting five school records throughout the season.
Walsh was also named to the 2017-18 national team coaching staff for his assistance with Katie McLaughlin and Abbey Weitzeil during their summer campaign. Both athletes were named to the team, with Weitzeil qualifying for the World Championships, representing the USA in Budapest, Hungary.
During his tenure at Marshall, the Thundering Herd broke women's swimming school records 28 times, finished a program-best third at the Conference USA Championships in February 2016 and produced four individual conference champions. Walsh primarily worked with the sprinters and middle-distance swimmers and served as the recruiting coordinator at Marshall. In 2015, the program was named one of the top 16 most improved teams at the NCAA Division I level and, in the fall of 2014, sported a fall team GPA of 3.53, which ranked as the fifth-highest in the country among women's swimming teams.
"Marshall Athletics is very excited to welcome Ian and his family back to Huntington," said Hamrick. "We are confident in his vision for our swimming and diving program and are eager for him to get started."
While at Marshall, Walsh also served as head coach of the YMCA Charleston Aquatic Team from 2013-16.
Walsh spent one year as the head assistant coach at Albright College in Pennsylvania prior to his term at Marshall. He helped lead the men's and women's swimmers to a combined 13 school records and 19 individual or relay conference championships. Both teams captured the 2013 Middle Atlantic Conference title, and Walsh was part of a staff that received the league's Coach of the Year award.
"I want to thank Athletic Director Mike Hamrick and Associate AD Beatrice Crane Banford for this opportunity," Walsh said. "I'm excited to join the Marshall family once again and continue the tradition of excellence in the pool and the classroom. I look forward to getting to know our current team, put together an exceptional staff and continue to recruit student-athletes that share the same passion for this university and athletic program. My wife Sarah and our daughter Ella are excited to get back to Huntington."
Walsh began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Bloomsburg University, where he implemented dryland and weight training programs for the sprint and middle-distance groups, as well as managed on-deck coaching responsibilities.
As an undergraduate student, Walsh had a stellar career at Duquesne University, setting school records in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke and being a member of two medley relays that set school marks. He won the Atlantic 10 title in the 100 breaststroke in 2009.
Walsh received his degree in business administration in 2010 from Duquesne and later earned his master's degree in business education from Bloomsburg University in 2011.
Wednesday, July 01
Tuesday, June 30
Thursday, May 28
Thursday, May 28