Augie Busch takes a step back to transform into a more connected coach.
It wasn't easy. But Busch is much more at ease these days. He feels good about where he is.
It's connection with players, something that often took a back seat to the leadership and administrative responsibilities that come with being a head coach. That's not quite what has happened. The men's team has moved forward, climbing to No. 12 in the nation last season. The women's team, however, hasn't seen the same success, finishing 25th nationally last spring.Assistant coach Cory Chitwood, who had been one of Busch's assistants at Virginia, left the program. So did Beth Botsford, a former UA standout turned coach.
Busch knew he needed to reevaluate his program. The coach removed the athletes who he didn't believe fit the culture of his program. Other swimmers transferred on their own. Some were critical of Busch on their way out. Augie Busch's role at the UA was different than when he was an assistant. Head coaches simply have more responsibilities: They make difficult decisions, have hard conversations, set a program's culture and deal with all administrative work. There's recruiting, adherence to school and NCAA rules, and endless institutional and interpersonal issues that need addressing.
The coach is more open and loose in practice now, similar to how he was as a Wildcats assistant more than a decade ago. "I know there were some struggles in there. But the guy I see now is the guy that I knew from before."
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