West Virginia Adds James Washbish as Assistant Coach
West Virginia on Tuesday announced the hiring of James Washbish as an assistant coach. He joins the Mountaineers after spending the last two seasons as an assistant at the University of Ohio.
“I am very pleased to welcome James and Kathryn to the Mountaineer swimming and diving family,” West Virginia head coach Vic Riggs said in a university statement. “I really enjoyed getting to know James during the interview process and feel his energy, knowledge and excitement for swimming will be a great addition to the program.”
Washbish worked with distance and middle-distance freestylers the last two years with the Bobcats. He had a big role in recruiting and led the program’s fundraising.
A graduate of the University of Kentucky, with a bachelor’s degree in community and leadership development, he spent four years with the Wildcats as a volunteer assistant coach from 2015-19. He stayed in Lexington for his first head coaching job, leading Lafayette High School for two years. The Lafayette girls team finished third at the Kentucky School Athletic Association meet under his watch in 2021.
“I am extremely excited to be joining the West Virginia University swim and dive family,” Washbish said. “I would like to thank Vic, Rick (West), Lauren (Cassano), Karla (Helder) and Brittney (O’Dell) for this amazing opportunity.”
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