Long-time West Chester University men’s and women’s swimming & diving head coach, Jamie Rudisill, announced his retirement from coaching. Rudisill led the Golden Rams to 34 conference titles, and did so while developing the largest and most successful lessons program on the East Coast.
The 29-year mentor of the Golden Rams’ men’s and women’s swimming & diving program, who single-handedly constructed West Chester into one of the most dominant programs in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), as well as all of Division II, will step down in August 2017. His final act of coaching will take place at the 2017 NCAA Division II Festival during the Swimming & Diving Championships in Birmingham, Ala., this week.
“It is always hard to lose an experienced coach and even more difficult to lose one that has been here so long,” said Director of Athletics, Dr. Edward Matejkovic. ”Jamie has developed a swimming program that is the standard by which all other programs in the PSAC will be measured, and certainly one of the best in the country for both our men and our women.
“I am not sure that the string of championships that he has engineered can be duplicated. But, hopefully, it can be continued for the sake of the student-athletes, the alumni and the University. He has also established an outstanding “Learn to Swim” program for the community in Chester County and also an excellent and competitive age group program with the Golden Rams Aquatics Club. I am not sure we could ask for anything more.”
“My father taught me a long time ago that if you could leave a place a little better than you found it, you were successful,” Rudisill lamented. “Whether it was a camp site, a property or a whole community, make your mark a positive one, and then move on. I like to think we’ve done that here. The teams are at a fairly high level competitively and their (grade-point averages) are consistently higher than their non-athlete counterparts.
“Now, it’s time to move on.”
Under the guidance of Rudisill, West Chester’s swimming & diving teams authored a combined record of 331-136 (.709) in dual meets. The records on each side stand almost identical with the men’s teams winning 165 meets, and the women taking 166 decisions. He leaves as the school’s all-time winningest swim coach with the longest tenured career. He is the only head coach on West Chester’s staff that was not hired by current out-going athletics director, Dr. Ed Matejkovic.
“People focus on the 34 conference championships the men and women have enjoyed since 1999, but forget that it took 10 years to start all that – of moving up through the ranks, generating the resources to make facility improvements, award scholarship dollars and bring in additional coaching assistance.
“I took the job telling friends that I’d give it a couple years; that I’d stay as long as we kept improving. And we did. So I stayed. Pretty soon, it was 29 years later.
“I had seven bosses (Athletic Directors) in my first eight years. Then Dr. Matejkovic stabilized what was at that time a department of ‘have nots’ in terms of University support. I know I share his hope that WCU Athletics continues make gains in State and University support so that we can continue to enrich the brand while making West Chester proud.”
Over his 29 years on the deck of West Chester University’s Graham Natatorium pool, Rudisill has tutored five female national champions, who have accumulated 18 NCAA titles, and four male national champions, who have accumulated eight NCAA titles, along with three relay championships. Four of Rudisill’s lady swimmers have broken national records, and current senior Victor Polyakov has won five individual national championships in five different events.
"I came into West Chester as the only freshman female swimmer,” senior Tess Hayward recollected. “I was intimidated by all of the successful athletes, intense training schedule, and the coach who started it all. Four years flew by, and I have my amazing coaches to thank for all of my successes.
“Jamie Rudisill has had an incredible career as the WCU swimming coach. He has pushed us to reach our fullest potential that some of us thought were impossible to reach. Even when we doubted his methods, he would prove us wrong over and over again. Not only have I created an amazing relationship with Jamie as a coach, but also as a friend. He has created such a comfortable environment for us to be ourselves, that some teams are not lucky enough to experience. I know that Jamie will be missed by many as the head coach at WCU, but his memories will last a lifetime. Congratulations on such an amazing career "Young James", I'm excited we could go into retirement together."
“Jamie, and the WCU staff, was the only ones to give me a chance out of high school to prove myself, which is something that I will never forget,” senior Michael Oliver remembered. “His compassion for each swimmer is something that can't be understated. If a swimmer is having a problem in, or out, of the pool, he goes out of his way to do whatever he can to help that person. He is a great person to talk to in any situation – for there is nothing he cares about more than the well-being of his swimmers. He will be missed greatly by the WCU swimming family. But, all of the great things he has done for hundreds of people will never be forgotten.”
A 1980 graduate of the University of Virginia, Rudisill has also left an indelible mark on the community through his swimming instruction for young children.
Featured in a Comcast Sports program in 2005, WCU boasts the largest and most successful seasonal swim lesson program on the East Coast. Topping 4,000 young swimmers for 10 lessons each, between April and July, Rudisill quotes close to a 90 percent success rate for the 4-5 year old beginners making it unaided across the pool after only two weeks of instruction. Word has spread to yield unprecedented demand and an increasingly wide range of clientele spanning four states, which has frequented the program.
I’m sure we’ve saved some lives with the tens of thousands of kids that we have had go through the swim lessons program over the years,” Rudisill boasted. “I’m really proud of the long list of All-Americans, of national champions and record breakers, of the 10 final four finishes at nationals, and I love seeing the alumni come back, exaggerating all the old stories into epic proportions, and showing how much they’ve grown since college.
“But I’m just as proud of the impact we’ve made on the community with the age-group team under Scott Elliot and national level talent he’s developed there, and of the swim lessons program – of the 75,000 youngsters we’ve made safer and all the parents who have slept easier because of that. And ultimately, that might be the most indelible impression we’ve made in this corner of the state. Either way, we did send out a lot of ripples in the swimming world. And it was a lot of work, but even more fun.”
REACTION TO JAMIE RUDISILL’S RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT
"Jamie was always a tough competitor. But, more importantly, he has always been a good friend. Many times the competitive nature of sport doesn’t let you get to know your rivals. But, Jamie and I became good friends over the years, and that is what I enjoyed most about him."
Bill Miller, Clarion Head Coach 1979-2000
“I have known Jamie for 30 years and in that time he has had a profound impact on swimming in the PSAC. His teams have set the standard by which all others are now compared. Not only has he influenced the PSAC, he has had an enormous impact on swimming in general in the state of Pennsylvania. His “Learn to Swim” program has touched tens of thousands of young people all over the Greater Philadelphia area. He won a state high school championship with Radnor High School and his Golden Rams Aquatic Club introduced competitive swimming to all ages. Jamie is indeed Mr. Swimming in Pennsylvania!!”
Stu Marvin, Head Coach Bloomsburg University
“Congratulations to Jamie for an unbelievable career. As a swimmer in the PSAC in the 1980’s (Shippensburg 1985-89), I got to see the swimming program at WCU – it’s limited success and variety of coaches. Little did I know that the WCU coach during my senior season would end up being one of the biggest influences on my life. In my 10 years coaching under Jamie at WCU, Jamie guided me as a grad assistant, taught me how to motivate, fundraise, counsel, recruit and creatively guide a program from obscurity to a champion. More than that, Jamie helped me through the most difficult period of my life. He is a friend, a mentor, a role model and a champion in and out of his professional life. Thank you, Jamie, for all you’ve done for me, your athletes, the youth of your community and the proud West Chester family. We love you.”
Mark Feinberg, Head Coach, Ursinus College
“Jamie has been one of the most outstanding coaches in any sport in Division II history. It has been a great pleasure to have worked with such an outstanding coach for the past 14 years. He is a definite Hall of Famer and it is rare to get to work with someone like that. He is also a wonderful person and a great mentor to all of our staff at West Chester. I wish him all the best.”
Bill Zwaan, West Chester Football Coach
“Congratulations, Jamie, on an outstanding career at WCU. You impacted the lives of so many WCU athletes and did it the right way. Your teams prepared well, competed and raced with intensity, and did so with class and integrity. As a fellow coach, I thank you for your wisdom and encouragement. It was always a highlight to swim against your teams. Enjoy your retirement, and move on knowing that you made a huge difference in many lives. Keep smiling.
George Kennedy, Johns Hopkins Head Coach, 1985-2015
“Jamie is one of the most successful coaches that I have ever known. He was more than a coach to me. He was my mentor and “fixer” who became a good friend. Jamie created a home-away-from-home family feeling during my years at WCU. He is a big-hearted man to whom I can turn to anytime. Thank you, Jamie, for the unforgettable memories. Our friendship will last forever.”
Andras Schonek, WCUPA 2005
“Jamie wasn't just a college swim coach, he was the father figure that I was missing while at college. He encouraged me, pushed me beyond my limits and believed in me whole heartedly. Accomplishing all that I did in college and reaching the Olympic Trials in 2012 would not have been possible without all the hard work Jaime instilled in me. I made lifetime friends, was in the best shape of my life and learned how to balance school, a sport and life, which can be very challenging for most. I had a bond with Jamie that I will never forget, and I am honored to have known and swam for him. I wish him all the luck with retirement. I know he is going to miss being pool side, listening to Italian music, wearing the same black on black outfit and all the fun in Florida. I continue to coach today and have used many of his ideas (T-times) to better my coaching and my swimmer’s talents.”
Jackie Borkowski
West Chester University (’10)
