Although it has not been officially released, sources close to the Busch family tell us that the University of Virginia will be hiring Sammy Busch as the new Assistant Coach. Sammy’s brother, Augie Busch, was hired as the head coach yesterday.
As reported yesterday by Braden Keith:
Wasting no time, and despite a call for a moratorium on hiring from alumni, the University of Virginia has hired Augie Busch as their new head coach they announced this morning. Busch comes to the program after just two years as the head coach at the University of Houston.
The 37-year old Busch stepped into a difficult situation with the Cougars, after their previous head coach and local legend Mark Taylor passed away tragically at the NCAA Championship meet the year before, and he steps into another difficult one as a fight apparently rages still to reinstate the former head coach at Virginia, Mark Bernadino.
Bernardino retired after 35 years with the program. This came as a surprise to many, and those close to the program are still fighting for his reinstatement.
Sammy Busch was an assistant coach at Auburn University last year. He was primarily in charge of the backstroke and freestyle groups as well as being the director of junior recruiting. The year prior he was a volunteer assistant at the university of West Virginia.
The Busch family has a lot of ties to the swimming community. Their father, Frank Busch, is the USA Swimming National Team Director.
Click here to read more about Augie Busch being hired as head coach here.
I hear Cory Chitwood is coming from LSU to UVA…another man with ties to Arizona. Can’t wait to see what he brings to the table.
Nothing on this board has been desparaging… whether u like it or not this is blatant nepotism… which seems risky seeing as augie is stepping into an already difficult situation with 14 months of HC experience (which is markedly diff than assisting)… then he hires his brother… doesn’t seem analytical in the least… more comfortable than anything…
Both of these coaches, Augie and Sam Busch learned how to coach from the master, Frank Busch, their Dad. They are both great coaches and have the ability top coaches in college swimming just like their Dad. How about you judge them for their results, integrity and coaching ability after you see how they coach at UVA? I know as my son swam for Augie at the U of A that they will both be great coaches as they are already!!! Ask any swimmer who has had either of them for a coach or another parent like me before you disparage them or their father! #Manners&Ethics101
That should have said’ and have the ability to be top coaches in college swimming” Typo- sorry!
I understand why some of you may question AUGIE’s DECISION (not Franks) to hire Sam, but let me assure you it is a good hire. My daughter has been coached by both and they will make an incredible team. They have the same coaching philosophy and high energy. Augie also knows how to operate with a family member. It worked at Arizona and will work at Virginia. I wish one of my daughters could be coached by this dream team!!!!!!
Looks like Troll and Swammer have the vision to see what is really going on at UVA. If UVA can write a press release or if anyone can write an article based on the Busch Boys without mentioning their dad, then maybe their true qualifications can be measured and they can can stand on their own merit. Right now, you have a volleyball player who needed a job, got a job from Dad in AZ and the chance to work with some fast swimmers and used that to parlay himself a position at UH and now quickly moves on to another position at a well respected program at UVA. DUTCHWOMEN: Just ask a coog!
It will be interesting to see how the UVA student-athletes adapt to a lower volume, higher intensity approach to training. How many power towers does UVA currently have? No doubt we’ll see many more on deck in the coming years!
Oh come on! Not smart.
Rumor has it that Doak is being hired by Florida State. I believe I saw that on the collegeswimming message boards.
he is not being hired at FSU