Now under its third head coach in one year, Ohio Swimming and Diving turns to Rachel Komisarz-Baugh, whose success in the pool and as coach look to help restore the program.
Last October, Greg Werner was fired after 18 years at the helm of Ohio’s swimming and diving program because student-athletes were unhappy and felt the team “was beyond repair,” according to a previous Post article.
An interim coach took over for the remainder of the season, and Ohio recorded its worst finish at the Mid-American Conference Championships in more than 10 years.
This season, however, the Bobcats are optimistic about the future. Much of that excitement stems from the arrival of new coach Rachel Komisarz-Baugh, an Olympic champion who came to Ohio after spending five years coaching at nationally-ranked Louisville.
“As a child you always dream of hitting that level of success,” Komisarz-Baugh said, “I didn’t ever think of myself as an Olympic swimmer.”
She brings 15 years of competitive swimming as an athlete and five years of coaching championship teams in both men’s and women’s swimming at Louisville.
Komisarz-Baugh competed as a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team in Athens, Greece, and won a gold and silver medal. With that gold also came a world record in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay.
“It’s intimidating, to be honest, because you want to do your best and try as hard as you can — she is our coach but we all look up to her,” Ohio junior Haley Clark said.
Clark also said that she wants to mimic her coach’s success and take in all the advice she can from her.
Komisarz-Baugh said she sees her own strengths and weaknesses in the swimmers and advises them by building their skill sets and teaching them about the struggles she encountered during her time as an athlete.
“Right now I am ... looking to build this program the right way, and that does take some time,” Komisarz-Baugh said. “We are building the foundation.”
Komisarz-Baugh was hired in March and is set to earn a salary of $80,000 this year. Because she’s still somewhat new to Athens, the program’s longest-tenured person is helping to teach her what it means to be a Bobcat.
Diving coach Russ Dekker, now in his 11th season, is excited to have someone of Komisarz-Baugh’s background to help recreate a “positive, conductive atmosphere” and help the Bobcats return to their historical dominance by winning a 12th MAC Championship.
“I was really excited for (the hire), obviously your background is going to play a big role who you are as a coach — whether it’s your athletic background or your coaching background,” Dekker said.
Based on Komisarz-Baugh’s experiences and personality, Dekker said he thinks she has the potential to bring a positive change to the program and experience success in her first year.
“We met for 20 minutes the first day she was on campus, and we both left my office feeling like we’ve known each other for three or four years already,” Dekker said. “I think it helps the team accept the new coach with open arms when they see that the one staff member has already done that, and we are already clicking and we’re on the same page and ready to go.”
The high energy surrounding the team is not only apparent to those in the pool but also to team members’ families.
“A lot of the parents this year have complimented that the girls have really fit this year — there is something different,” Clark said.
Although the Bobcats have lost three of their first four dual meets, dealing with personnel changes is usually difficult for teams, especially when a seasoned head coach leaves. Komisarz-Baugh, however, brings a level of experience, attitude and personality that allows the Bobcats to regain their prominence in the MAC.
“We are building that culture of that championship attitude, the passion to get better and doing the right things to be able get there inside and out of the pool,” Komisarz-Baugh said.
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