Coaches Commit to Sustainably, Volunteer $6.2 Million From Budgets
In response to the financial impact COVID-19 is having on higher education and intercollegiate athletics, Division I swimming and diving coaches have banded together to slash costs and identify ways to make our sport more sustainable. To date, our coaches have voluntarily given back more than $6.2 million dollars from budgets for the coming year. The process is not easy, but we are more than just competitors. We are educators and stewards of a sport that has taught us the value of sacrifice and the importance of being a team player.
These decisions have not been easy. Savings have come from every area imaginable - scholarships, roster sizes, salaries, and staffing. Many of us have swapped top-ranked national matchups for lower profile in-state competitions. Others are exploring virtual meets. Some coaches have surrendered preseason or winter training trips. Others have declined bonuses.
Not every coach has been able to make the same sacrifices. Swimming and diving already has some of the smallest budgets in college athletics. While small, our budgets have a big impact. Despite being a “non-revenue” sport, Division I swimmers and divers paid $273 million in tuition and fees, and after they graduate more than 40% go into one of the STEM fields. We're not just coaching future champions, we're developing the type of people society needs the most.
There is much more that can be done, but we committed to doing our part to create a sustainable sport that adds value to our athletic departments, institutions, and communities.
Signed,
Anonymous, FCS Head Coach*
Augie Busch, Arizona
Bob Bowman, Arizona State
Neil Harper, Arkansas
Anonymous, FBS Head Coach*
Mike Stephens, Boston College
Dan Schinnerer, Bucknell
Andy Bashor, Buffalo
Rick Rowland, Cal Baptist
Teri McKeever, California
Bill Ball, Central Connecticut
Mandy Commons-DiSalle, Cincinnati
Anonymous, FCS Head Coach*
Woody Woodard, Colorado State
Jim Bolster, Columbia
Chris Maiello, Connecticut
Anonymous, FCS Head Coach*
Chris Hansen, CSU Bakersfield
Jamie Holder, Dartmouth
Anonymous, FCS Head Coach*
Alicia Hicken Franklin, Denver
Dan Colella, Duke
Anonymous, FCS Head Coach*
Anonymous, FBS Head Coach*
Anonymous, FCS Head Coach*
Jeff Poppell, Florida
Randy Horner, Florida International
Neal Studd, Florida State
Jeanne Fleck, Fresno State
Anonymous, FCS Head Coach*
Brian Thomas, George Washington
Amanda Caldwell, Georgia Southern
Anonymous, FBS Head Coach*
Steve Schaffer, Grand Canyon
Eddie Gillie, Green Bay
Elliot Ptasnik, Hawaii
Ryan Wochomurka, Houston
Nic Askew, Howard
Anonymous, FCS Head Coach*
Susan Novitsky, Illinois
Caitlin Hamilton, Illinois State
Tim Loeffler, Illinois-Chicago
Anonymous, FCS Head Coach*
Ray Looze, Indiana
Anonymous, FCS Head Coach*
Nick Cavataro, Iona
Dane Pedersen, James Madison
Clark Campbell, Kansas
Jim Dailey, Lafayette
Amy Burgess, Little Rock
Anonymous, FCS Head Coach*
David Geyer, Louisiana State
Brian Loeffler, Loyola (MD)
Patrick Malone, Manhattan
Larry VanWagner, Marist
Anonymous, FBS Head Coach*
Anonymous, FBS Head Coach*
Hollie Bonewit-Cron, Miami (OH)
Michael Bottom, Michigan
Matt Gianiodis, Michigan State
Anonymous, FBS Head Coach*
Andrew Grevers, Missouri
Dave Collins, Missouri State
Anonymous, FCS Head Coach*
William Roberts, Navy
Anonymous, FBS Head Coach*
Braden Holloway, NC State
Pablo Morales, Nebraska
Anonymous, FCS Head Coach*
Ian Coffey, North Florida
Andy Johns, Northern Arizona
Lisa Ebeling, Northern Colorado
Michael Litzinger, Notre Dame
Anonymous, FBS Head Coach*
Anonymous, FCS Head Coach*
Bret Lundgaard, Princeton
John O'Neill, Providence
Anonymous, FBS Head Coach*
Seth Huston, Rice
Matthew Barany, Richmond
Stephen Fletcher, Rider
Anonymous, FCS Head Coach*
Phil Hurley, Saint Francis (PA)
Jim Halliburton, Saint Louis
Anonymous, FCS Head Coach*
Anonymous, FBS Head Coach*
Anonymous, FCS Head Coach*
McGee Moody, South Carolina
Jason Mahowald, South Dakota
Douglas Humphrey, South Dakota State
Geoff Hanson, Southern Illinois
Dan Schemmel, Stanford
Anonymous, FCS Head Coach*
Matt Kredich, Tennessee
James Winchester, Texas Christian
Matt Macedo, UC Santa Barbara
Jordan Wolfrum, UCLA
Elizabeth Lykins, UNC Asheville
Joe Dykstra, Utah
Jeremy Organ, Vanderbilt
Gerry Courmoyer, Vermont
Rick Simpson, Villanova
Andrew Bretscher, VMI
Anonymous, FCS Head Coach*
Matthew Leach, Washington State
Victor Riggs, West Virginia
Anonymous, FCS Head Coach*
David Denniston, Wyoming
Brad Smith, Youngstown State