In more than a decade at West Virginia, Vic Riggs has helped the WVU swimming and diving teams climb to national prominence. With an academic support system designed around the swimming and diving program, Riggs, who enters his 12th season at the helm in 2018-19, has built a team that is also recognized nationally for success in the classroom.
Throughout his coaching tenure at WVU, Riggs has coached 24 individual NCAA qualifiers, 15 NCAA All-Americans, eight Academic All-Americans, seven Big 12 Scholar-Athletes of the Year, 21 Olympic Trials qualifiers and a four-time Olympic medalist.
Last Season
hether it was in the pool or out, West Virginia had a plenty to look back on in 2017-18. The Mountaineers earned a pair of second-place team finishes at the 2018 Big 12 Championship, which included juniors Jake Armstrong and Tristen Di Sibio registering individual conference championships.
Armstrong successfully defended his 100 breaststroke title with a finals time of 52.59 after breaking the school record in the event during prelims (52.11). For Di Sibio, he took home gold in the 200 breaststroke, winning in a time of 1:56.00. The duo’s accomplishments marked the first time since 2014 that WVU won multiple Big 12 titles in the same season.
Under Riggs’ leadership, WVU sent a total of five swimmers to the NCAA Championships. Junior Emma Harris and sophomore Morgan Bullock represented the women’s team, the squad’s first national qualifiers since 2013, while Armstrong and Di Sibio were joined by freshman David Dixon for the men.
Armstrong and Bullock went on to grab honorable mention All-America honors at the national meets. Armstrong placed 14th overall in the 100 breaststroke (52.69), while Bullock finished 15th in the 200 butterfly (1:54.77).
The 2017-18 season also provided the men’s first undefeated dual-meet campaign since 2006-07. The Mountaineers enjoyed victories over conference foe TCU and rival Pitt, as well as wins over Seton Hall, Villanova and Xavier. On the women’s side, the Mountaineers finished a perfect 2-0 in conference action, including the program’s first victory over Iowa State. Additionally, the two teams combined to break 15 school and six pool records during the 2017-18 season.
WVU again excelled academically a year ago, as both teams earned CSCAA Scholar All-America Team honors. For the sixth consecutive season, the Mountaineers also garnered Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors, as seniors Amelie Currat and James Koval were awarded the distinction. Currat, who also was named a Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-District At-Large selection, became the first swimmer in Big 12 history to win the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award twice. Currat, along with junior Marah Bieger, also was selected for the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, the Big 12’s highest academic conference honor.
2016-17
West Virginia saw records fall and a championship won in the 2016-17 season. Headlined by Armstrong’s win in the men’s 100 breaststroke, the Mountaineers claimed one gold medal, 11 silver medals and eight bronze medals at the 2017 Big 12 Championship. In all, 11 members of the swimming and diving teams were named to the All-Big 12 First Team, while 14 others earned second-team recognition. The performances were good enough to push the WVU men to a second-place finish at the conference meet, while the women finished fourth.
Armstrong’s victory marked the sixth Big 12 men’s title and 10th overall since joining the conference in 2013. His time of 53.09 was the second-fastest in program history in the event at the time.
The Mountaineers also tallied a pair of broken records over the course of the year. First, senior Emma Skelley broke the WVU pool record in the 1,650 free at Big 12 vs. Big East Weekend on Oct. 15, 2016. Skelley earned a time of 16:56.11, the best at the WVU Natatorium.
At the Big 12 Championship, sophomore Emma Harris broke the WVU school record in the 200 breast. She earned a time of 2:12.37 in the event.
Away from the pool, WVU swimming and diving had another strong year in the classroom. Both teams earned CSCAA Scholar All-America Team accolades and 21 Mountaineers were named to the Academic All-Big 12 Team. Currat was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American and was honored with the Big 12 Women’s Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Additionally, senior Nathan Howells and Koval earned the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Award for their strong work academically.
2015-16
The 2015-16 season was a monumental year for the Mountaineers in and out of the pool. Whether it was succeeding academically, winning a Big 12 title while setting a new Big 12 Championship record or breaking multiple WVU school and pool records, Riggs coached the WVU men’s and women’s teams to a high degree. Four members of the men’s team qualified to compete at the 2016 Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha, Nebraska. WVU graduate Bryce Bohman, seniors Andrew Marsh, Max Spencer and junior Nate Carr raced in a total of nine events at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
For the first time in program history, a Mountaineer set a new Big 12 Championship record as Marsh set the mark in the 100 backstroke with a 45.41, taking home the gold medal at the championship meet. Marsh also set a WVU school record in the 100 butterfly, with a prelim time of 46.59 to advance him to the A final. Eighteen Mountaineers earned medals at the four-day championship with eight All-Big 12 First Team performances and 12 All-Big 12 Second Team honors.
Riggs coached the Mountaineer men to a second-place finish at the 2016 Big 12 Championship, posting their best finish at the conference championship since joining the Big 12. The women’s squad added a fourth-place finish.
For the second consecutive year, Marsh qualified to compete at the NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships. He met qualifying time standards in three events, the 100 backstroke, 100 freestyle and 50 freestyle.
Academically, junior Howells was named the 2015-16 Big 12 Men’s Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Howells also was named to the 2016 Academic All-District At-Large Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The honor was the first for Howells and the sixth award in program history for the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams at the time. Additionally, 24 members of the team were named to the 2016 Academic All-Big 12 Team.
The women’s team earned Scholar All-America Team honors by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) during the fall semesters for receiving a 3.27 grade point average and in the spring for earning a 3.34 GPA. Additionally, Taylor Gill of the women’s team was named a recipient of the First Team Academic Momentum Award by the Scholar Baller® program in conjunction with the National Consortium of Academics and Sports (NCAS). She was the first member of the Mountaineer swimming and diving team to receive the Academic Momentum Award. The award recognizes student-athletes who have shown momentous improvements throughout their collegiate careers.
2014-15
The 2014-15 season saw many accomplishments on both the WVU men’s and women’s squads. Riggs coached the men to a third-place finish in the Big 12 Conference and the women to a fourth-place finish. With a team goal of making it back to the NCAA Championships, Tim Squires and Marsh helped accomplish that with successful individual campaigns. Marsh, a junior, qualified in three events, while senior Squires qualified in two events for his second consecutive NCAA appearance.
Fourteen Mountaineers earned All-Big 12 honors at the 2015 Big 12 Championship, including the school-record-setting men’s 400-yard relay team of Marsh, Carr, Ross Glegg and Squires.
Riggs’ teams continued to excel in the classroom in 2014-15. In total, the Mountaineers had 26 swimmers and divers earn Academic All-Big 12 honors, nine were earned Scholar All-America accolades by the CSCAA and four were named Academic All-Americans by CoSIDA.
The WVU women’s swimming and diving team recorded the highest GPA in the Big 12 Conference among all swimming and diving programs. The Mountaineers also were the only program in the Big 12 to have a 4.0 student-athlete from the men’s and women’s team.
2013-14
In 2013-14, Riggs oversaw perhaps the greatest individual student-athlete performance in a single season in program history. Senior Bryce Bohman became just the second men’s swimmer in WVU history to earn First Team All-America honors at the 2014 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships. Bohman set three individual school records (100 back, 200 back, 100 fly), was named the Big 12 Male Swimmer of the Year and earned CSCAA Scholar All-America honors.
Riggs coached the men to a 23rd overall finish at the 2014 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships in Austin, Texas. He also helped Squires earn Big 12 Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet honors and coached nine student-athletes to CSCAA Individual Scholar All-America recognitions.
His endless devotion to academic success was evident as the women’s team posted the highest team GPA in the Big 12 Conference. The men’s and women’s squad together garnered CSCAA Scholar All-America distinctions.
2012-13
The 2012-13 season was a banner year for academics within the swimming and diving teams.
Eighteen Mountaineers were named to the 2013 Academic All-Big 12 Team. Among those honored, three in the entire conference were nominated with a 4.00 grade point average, all West Virginia student-athletes – David Palley, Sloan Storie and Jenelle Zee.
Palley and Zee also were named to the 2013 Capital One Academic All-District 2 At-Large Teams, while Liam McLaughlin was named the inaugural Big 12 Swimming and Diving Men’s Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Also in 2012-13, in WVU’s first Big 12 Championships, the women’s team finished second and the men’s team finished third. Rachael Burnett earned the Big 12’s Most Outstanding Swimmer award, winning the 200 free, 500 free and 1,650 free. Mandie Nugent added a win in the 200 fly during the championships. The men’s squad took first in the 400 medley relay and second in the 200 medley relay, while Christopher Brill took second in the 200 breast and third in the 100 breast. Ross Glegg added a pair of third-place finishes in the 100 free and 200 free.
The Big East Years
Riggs had his most successful season as a head coach in 2011-12, leading the women and men to third- and fourth-place finishes, respectively, at the Big East Championships. For his efforts, he was named the Big East Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year. The team placed 15 members on the all-conference squad with Burnett and Nugent leading the way with seven top-three finishes for the women, while Taylor Camp had three for the men. Burnett was named the Big East Women’s Most Outstanding Swimmer.
Four different women earned a total of seven honorable mention All-America honors at the NCAA Championships as the team placed 26th. Burnett, Nugent, Kata Fodor and Danielle Smith finished 16th in the 800 free relay. Burnett earned the honor twice more, finishing 14th in the 500 free and 11th in the 1650 free, while Nugent took ninth in the 200 fly.
Riggs also sent eight swimmers to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska, the most ever from WVU. The Mountaineers were represented in 15 different events during the Trials.
In total, 10 school records, three pool records and five Big East records were broken with Burnett leading the way, slashing four individual and two relay records.
Both squads continued success in the 2010-11 season with the women finishing third at the Big East Championships, while the men finished in fourth place. A total of six school records were broken throughout the season, one being a Big East record.
For the men, Jared Goldthorpe broke the 200 back school record with a 10th-place finish in the NCAA Championships to earn honorable mention All-America status.
The women’s squad saw Burnett and Nugent named the co-Big East Women’s Most Outstanding Swimmers at the Big East Championships. Burnett took wins in both the 500 free and 400 IM at the championships, while finishing sixth in the 200 fly. Nugent won the 200 fly on the final day of competition after setting a new Big East and school record time of 1:56.64 in the preliminary session. Nugent also finished second in the 100 fly and fourth in the 500 free.
The women’s squad earned CSCAA All-Academic Team honors with Andrews and Callaway being named CSCAA Scholar All-Americans in 2009 and 2010, while Lindsey Largo and Ashley Malik earned the honor in 2009 and 2010, respectively.
The men’s team was named an All-Academic Team for the spring 2010 and spring 2011 term. Individually, Brandon Robinson was named a CSCAA Scholar All-American in 2010, while Pablo Marmolejo earned the honor in 2009.
Riggs had an astonishing season in 2009-10, with the women breaking three Big East records, 12 school records and three pools records, while the men broke four school records and two pool records.
At the NCAA Championships, Burnett, Andrews, Morgan Callaway and Shaunna Purtell earned honorable mention All-America honors with their 15th-place finish in the 400 free relay.
Andrews, Burnett, Callaway, Goldthorpe, Nugent and George Farquhar were all individual Big East champions as well.
In 2008-09, there were 11 school records broken for the women’s team and five for the men. The women also sent three athletes to the NCAA Championships, with Michael Walker representing the men, finishing the 400 IM with honorable mention All-America honors. Andrews, Callaway, Largo and Walker were all Big East champions, with Callaway being named women’s Big East Most Outstanding Swimmer at the meet.
The 2008-09 recruiting class also was a best for Riggs and his staff, as the men’s class was ranked 17th nationally and the women 24th.
Academically, Nick Delic earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American Third Team honors during the 2008-09 season.
In 2007-08, Riggs’ first season, the West Virginia women’s team broke 12 team, three pool and one Big East record. They also had three individual qualifiers for the NCAA Championships. On the men’s side, the squad broke four pool, three team records and three Big East records, while Kevin Donohue became a First Team All-American. Donohue placed fifth in the 100 breast at the NCAA Championships and helped the Mountaineers to a 33rd place overall finish.
Riggs guided the team to third- and fourth-place finishes at the Big East Championships as well. The Mountaineers had nine individual champions and two relay champions.
Throughout his coaching career, Riggs has coached numerous U.S. National and NCAA Qualifiers, along with 12 Olympic medalists.
Success as an Assistant
Riggs came to West Virginia from Georgia, where he served as an assistant coach for the Bulldogs in 2006-07. There, Riggs assisted in daily workouts and designed and implemented the sprint program, while also assisting with the meet lineups.
Prior to his stint at Georgia, Riggs coached at USC under Mark Schubert, guiding numerous Trojan sprinters and breaststrokers to All-America recognition.
In his first year at USC, he worked closely with the distance and mid-distance freestyle and 400 IM athletes. Riggs helped guide Erik Vendt, Kaitlin Sandeno, Lindsay Benko and Kalyn Keller to Olympic berths for their respective 2004 Olympic teams. He also was the recruiting coordinator at USC.
The Club Years
Riggs previously served two years as head coach and owner of the Gator Swim Club in Gainesville, Florida. He also served as head coach for the U.S. National Distance Camp in 2000 and 2002.
From 1995-2001, Riggs and his wife, Renee, directed the Nellie Gail Saddleback Valley Gators, coaching novice to Olympic-level swimmers. Among the athletes Riggs coached during that time was the USC All-American Kaitlin Sandeno, who was a part of the 800 free relay that won a gold medal and broke a world record at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
Riggs also served as the age group head coach at Saddleback Valley Aquatics in Lake Forest, California, from 1991-95. He was an assistant coach at Cal State San Bernardino from 1990-91 and served as head age-group coach for Riverside Aquatics in that time. He began his coaching career as the senior assistant at Fullerton Area Sports Team (FAST) in 1989.
Prior To Coaching
Riggs competed at California-Berkeley, earning All-America honors in 1986 and swam on Cal’s second-place NCAA team. He was ranked seventh in the world in the 1,500 free and ninth in the 400 free in 1985. He was in the top 25 in the world in both events in 1984.
A 1985 World University Games participant for the U.S., he was an Olympic Trials qualifier in 1984 and 1988. He was a 28-time qualifier for the U.S. Senior Nationals from 1983-89 and won a junior national title in 1982.
Personal
Riggs and his wife, Renee, have four daughters: Abigail, Kathryn and twins Caroline and Irene.
