West Virginia University Athletics

Rick West spent nine years at WVU, serving as Associate Head Men’s Swimming Coach for three seasons. West assisted head coach Vic Riggs in all aspects of the program, including day-to-day operations, recruiting and academics.
 
During his years with West Virginia, West saw multiple program records and one Big 12 Swimming Championship record, had 12 NCAA Championship qualifiers, seven Big 12 individual champions, six All-Americans and five Olympic Trial qualifiers. 

He led the team through major milestones – David Dixon became the first Mountaineer to earn five consecutive bids to the NCAA Championships, six second place team finishes from the men’s team at Big 12s, while the women earned two and a new home to the WVU Swimming & Diving team with the Aquatic Facility at Mylan Park in 2019.

Additionally, West has contributed to the academic success of the Mountaineers as well. The team has had over six Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement recipients, five Big 12 Swimming & Diving Scholar Athletes of the Year, the women have had 29 consecutive semesters of being recognized as a CSCAA Scholar All-America team, while the men have had 10 consecutive semesters, and countless All-Big 12 Scholar Athletes. 

Before he was hired in 2015, West was a volunteer coach with the team from 2012-15.
 
Prior to his time in Morgantown, West served as head coach, as well as Aquatics Director, at Wheeling Jesuit from 2001-02 and 2007-12. He was responsible for the organization, compliance, budgeting and recruiting for the NCAA Division II program in the Appalachian Swimming Conference and West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. In 2002, 2010 and 2011, West was awarded Appalachian Swimming Conference Men’s Coach of the Year.
 
As an assistant coach at Pitt in 2003-04, he assisted in coaching the Panthers to their eighth consecutive men’s Big East Conference championship, their 19th title in 22 years. He helped coach the men’s team to the most dual-meet wins (14) in the university’s history in 2003, and he helped the women’s team reach its first winning dual-meet record in four seasons (8-6).
 
At Duquesne in 2002-03, West led the Dukes to their first ever Atlantic 10 champion swimmer in the school’s 26-year history as head coach. Prior to working with the Dukes, he was an assistant men’s swimming coach at Ohio State in 2002. West was responsible for the recruiting process including scouting, contacting prospects and implementing a thorough follow-up plan for the incoming opportunities.
 
West attended West Liberty, earning a Bachelor of Arts in education in 1997. In 2010, he received a master’s degree in athletic coaching education from West Virginia University. Dr. West received his Doctorate in Education from WVU in Coaching and Teaching studies in 2021, his dissertation focused on the Barrier to Volunteerism for Division I Coaches.
 
He and his wife, Sarah, have four children, Carleigh, Sydney, Quinton and Alec.