Arizona swimming head coach Frank Busch had an unforgettable 2008. He led the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams to national titles and then was an assistant coach for Team USA at the Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Upon returning home from China he was bestowed with yet another honor. Bush will be inducted as a member of the American Swim Coaches Association Hall of Fame on Friday night in Las Vegas, Nev.
“”This year’s been pretty crazy with the way everything happened,”” said Busch, a member of the ASCA for close to 30 years. “”This year has just been beyond my belief. It’s really been something special. I can’t believe how many great things have come my way and come to the university. Our program has been pretty amazing.””
Some of the ASCA’s criteria for being inducted into the Hall of Fame includes coaching on the high school, club or college level for more than 20 years, the coaching of a USA Olympic medalist, placing a team in the top 10 of Division I nationals and to have made a significant contribution to the sport of swimming.
Busch exceeds each of those requirements as he enters his 20th season as the head coach at Arizona. Busch coached or watched 15 current or former Wildcats in Beijing – including his most recent medal winner in 4×100-meter relay silver medalist Lacey
Nymeyer – and saw his men’s and women’s teams take home national championships this past season. That all adds up to a “”significant contribution to the sport of swimming.””
“”I think the thing that makes it so special is how much I care about Arizona and everyone who has been a part of our program,”” Busch said. “”People will know me as the coach who was at Arizona and no place else, and that’s the way I’ve always wanted it to be. I’ve always wanted to be able to say that I was from a place where we built a program and a place where we did it the right way and we had success and everything was just good for everybody. In that regard I’m thrilled.
“”Right now we’re all about what (Arizona swimming) can do this year and how we can make this year better than last year,”” Busch added. “”The things that I’ve accomplished and the accolades I’m receiving are because I’ve had lots of great swimmers and great coaches who have helped me accomplish a lot of things.””
