Arizona to Honor Frank Busch With Ceremony at Friday’s Meet With SMU
The University of Arizona swimming and diving program will honor the late Frank Busch at its upcoming meet.
The Wildcats host SMU at 12:30 p.m. MST at Hillenbrand Aquatic Center.
Arizona will honor coach Busch’s life and legacy with a ceremony that will include a tribute video and words from his wife Patty Busch and Olympian Matt Grevers.
Frank Busch died in September.
He was hired as Arizona’s swimming coach in 1989 and served in that capacity through 2011. He won national coach of the year awards six times and was 11 times voted the Pac-10 Coach of the Year. Busch was hired by USA Swimming, where he was the director of the 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympic teams.
At Arizona, Busch led the Wildcats to 25 top-five finishes at NCAAs. It included both the men’s and women’s team titles in 2008. He coached 48 individual NCAA champions and 31 relay championships.
Busch was hired by USA Swimming in 2011, the third full-time occupant of the National Team Director role originated in 1989 by Dennis Pursley.
He led the U.S. team at the London and Rio Olympics, retiring from the role in 2017. The Americans brought home 64 Olympic medals from those Games.
