Vic Riggs Steps Down as West Virginia Swimming Coach

Vic Riggs Steps Down as West Virginia Swimming Coach

Vic Riggs has stepped down as the head swimming and diving coach at the University of West Virginia, the school announced Friday.

Just the fifth head coach in program history, Riggs led the way in Morgantown since 2007. He posted a 57-46 record in men’s dual meets and 49-74 for the women.

“I want to thank Ed Pastilong and Terri Howes for hiring me 17 years ago and giving me the opportunity to be the head coach of WVU Swimming and Diving,” Riggs said in a university statement. “I’ve enjoyed my 17 years here, and I am thankful for all the student-athletes, coaches and administrators I’ve had the pleasure to work with. I look forward to watching this program’s continued success. Once A Mountaineer, Always A Mountaineer.”

West Virginia’s men’s team finished fifth in the Big 12 this year. The women were sixth. Riggs has coached 37 swimmers who’ve qualified for NCAAs and 15 All-Americans. He has mentored 21 qualifiers for Olympic Trials; the Mountaineers will have an Olympian in Paris this summer in American open water swimmer Ivan Puskovitch.

“I want to thank Coach Riggs for his many years of service and dedication to our swimming and diving program,” director of athletics Wren Baker said. “Our program is better thanks to the contributions Vic and his staff have made over his tenure. As we begin our search for a new head coach, I am confident we will have a very strong candidate pool. We have a first-class aquatics center, a strong conference and program that is resourced to compete at a high level.”

West Virginia was Riggs’ first head coaching job at the college level. He was an assistant at the University of Georgia for one season and at USC for three seasons. He has extensive experience in the club realm, at Saddleback Valley Aquatics and as the owner/head coach of Gator Swim Club. Part of Riggs’ time in Morgantown was turning the Aquatic Center at Mylan Park into a venue to host national and international events.

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