UIndy Tabs Hite as New Swimming and Diving Coach

jason-hite
Photo Courtesy: UIndy Athletics

INDIANAPOLIS – Former Drury University student-athlete and assistant coach Jason Hite was announced as the new University of Indianapolis swimming and diving head coach Friday.  The Greyhounds will hand the reins over to Hite starting June 1 following the retirement of longtime head coach Gary Kinkead.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Jason and his family to the University of Indianapolis,” said Dr. Sue Willey, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics.  He was the clear No. 1 choice of everyone on the search committee and coming from a program like Drury, we are very excited to bring him into the Greyhound family.”

Hite comes to the Circle City after spending the previous three seasons at Drury University, working with the distance team, coordinating recruiting and handling day-to-day operations.  Under the mentorship of DU coaching legend Brian Reynolds, Hite helped the Panthers win four NCAA Division II national championships in that span – two each by the Drury men and women.

“I’m thankful to Dr. Willey for the opportunity to take over the swimming & diving programs at the University of Indianapolis after Coach Kinkead’s tenure,” said Hite.  “The strong academics combined with the support of athletics make UIndy a great place to be a successful student-athlete and build a top notch program.

“My goal for this team is to work with the coaching staff and the student-athletes we recruit to build programs that are competing for NCAA DII national championships.  We want to make UIndy a national powerhouse in swimming and diving.”

Prior to his three-year stint as a full-time assistant at Drury, Hite was the head coach at various high schools in the Springfield, Mo., area from 1999-2012, garnering multiple coach of the year honors.

Hite earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Drury University.  As a student-athlete in the mid-90s, Hite was an All-American and Academic All-American for the Panthers, swimming IM, fly and distance.  He captained the 1997 team to a runner-up performance at nationals and spent the next two seasons as a graduate assistant at DU.

Drury has compiled a combined 22 swimming and diving national championships by its men’s and women’s squads, most in Division II history.

“I have been involved with Drury swimming and diving for almost 25 years,” Hite said.  “It has been a privilege to swim for and work for Coach Reynolds, and I am very thankful to him for all he has taught me over the years.  It is not a mystery that the program he has built is the model for success in DII.  I hope to do the same at the University of Indianapolis.”

In addition to coaching high school swimmers, Hite taught first, second and third grades in the Springfield Public Schools gifted education program from 1999-2012 and was also the longtime Aquatics Manager at Millwood Golf & Racquet Club in Ozark, Mo.

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World. To reach our audience, contact us at newsmaster@swimmingworld.com.

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Jeff Dugdale
Jeff Dugdale
8 years ago

Congratulations Jason!

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