Jess Book, a three-time Academic All-American and an All-American distance swimmer who helped Kenyon College win four Division III NCAA championships between 1998-2001, has joined Ohio State men’s swimming coach Bill Wadley’s staff as a full-time assistant coach.

Book, who graduated Magna cum laude from Kenyon in 2001 with a degree in English and biology, returns to Ohio State after spending the past year as an assistant men’s and women’s swimming coach and admissions counselor at his alma mater. Book, who also was the general manager of the Total Performance Sports Camps last year, was a volunteer assistant men’s coach at Ohio State from 2005-07 while he was working on his master’s degree in sport and exercise studies, which he earned in 2007.

“It is certainly exciting to be coming back to Ohio State,” Book said. “Ohio State is a fantastic environment. It is a big-time performance program with big-time expectations. The way that everything is approached at Ohio State is at a high level and I am excited for this. This is a terrific place to develop as a student-athlete.”

Wadley, who guided Ohio State to top four and top 16 finishes at the 2008 Big Ten and NCAA championships, respectively, is equally excited to have Book return to the program.

“Jess is an excellent coach and an even better person who will a make great assistant coach at Ohio State,” Wadley, who is in his 20th year at Ohio State, said. “His prior experience with our system and his relationships with our current team members made him the perfect choice. Jess will be a terrific leader and model for our team and I am excited to have him back with the Buckeyes.”

Book was an integral part of the Kenyon program’s preparation and execution for a total of four years. In addition to his most recent coaching position, he was an assistant coach there from 2002-05. His work included collaborating on season training plans, writing and running daily workouts, administering and designing strength and flexibility programs and coordinating recruiting. More than 50 of his student-athletes qualified for the NCAA championships with 20 winning national titles and 40 earning All-America team distinction.

As a competitor, Book helped lead the powerful Kenyon program to national championships in each of his four years with the team. He earned All-American honors in 2000 and he was an Academic All-American in 1999, 2000 and 2001. He expects to leverage his experiences and achievements in and out of the pool, as an athlete and a coach, to help the Ohio State swimmers to reach their goals.

“One of the things I’ve learned as a swimmer and as a coach is that success is a by-product of doing the right things on a day-to-day basis,” Book said. “Winning in itself is an empty goal without day-to-day consistency, dedication and vision. Winning is the outcome that cannot be expected without the preparation before it. And this is the approach that coach Wadley stresses himself. He expects responsibility and respect and dedication and daily commitment.”

Book knows about daily commitment. At the same time he was earning athletic honors in the pool at Kenyon, he was equally dedicated to his studies and responsibilities away from the pool. His list of academic awards and honors when he graduated is testament to his dedication and hard work:

• He was the recipient of an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, one of just 29 student-athletes from all NCAA divisions to be selected.
• Kenyon College awarded Book with its Biology Independent Study Prize for outstanding research in biology.
• He received the Franklin Miller Award in recognition for scholarly achievement in science.
• He was awarded the Jess Williard Falkenstine Award, which goes to an outstanding “athlete-student” who exemplifies leadership and integrity.
• And his student peers honored Book with the John Rinka Award for the athlete who best typifies the spirit of Kenyon and sportsmanship.

Book, who replaces John Klinge (the new head coach of the Purdue women's swimming team), started in his Ohio State position July 1. He and his wife, Niki, who is completing a residency program at Riverside Hospital, reside in Upper Arlington.