Williamsburg, KY – University of the Cumberlands Athletic Director Chris Kraftick has announced the hire of Eric Bugby as the new head coach of the Patriots Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving program.
 
"We are excited to welcome Eric to Cumberlands to lead our men's and women's swimming & diving programs. Eric brings a strong track record of developing student-athletes, building competitive programs, and fostering a culture of excellence both in and out of the pool," said Coach Kraftick. "We believe his vision, energy, and commitment to success align perfectly with the standards of our athletic department and that he will continue to build upon the success that our swimming & diving programs have had."
 
Bugby joins UC after spending six seasons as the head coach at Niagara University where he won three Coach of the Year awards and four conference championships over six seasons. Under Bugby's leadership, the combined men's and women's program experienced an impressive turnaround that resulted in his teams rising from the bottom of the conference standings to multiple team championships in the last four years.

"I want to thank Chris Kraftick and Dr. Young for the opportunity to be the next head coach of Cumberlands swimming and diving program.  It was clear from the beginning that Cumberlands was the perfect fit," said Bugby.  "UC is an innovative and student first model with championship level athletes and teams.  I'm looking forward to meeting the team and jumping right into recruiting some of the best student-athletes across the country and worldwide."

Bugby brings nearly two decades of coaching experience to Williamsburg. Wrapping up his time at Niagara, Bugby was named the 2025 MAAC Coach of the Year as his men's and women's squads swept the conference Championships.
 
In total, the Purple Eagles notched over 400 program Top 10 performances, 71 pool records, 38 MAAC titles (18 relay, 20 individual), 14 MAAC records, and two NCAA B-Cuts during Bugby's tenure. He took the Niagara women's team from a seventh-place standing in the conference to three MAAC crowns in the past four seasons. On the men's side, the Purple Eagles went from ninth to first, winning the program's first conference title since 1994.
 
Bugby also has experience as the Associate Head Coach at Lehigh University, an Assistant Coach for the University of Denver, and the Associate Head Coach for the United States Military Academy (Army West Point).
 
A former collegiate student-athlete himself, Bugby knows what it takes to develop student-athletes into Champions in the pool and in life. From his first coaching gig as a graduate assistant coach at Arizona State to present day, Bugby has proved his ability to produce conference Champions, NCAA All-Americans, Olympic Trialists, and World Championships Qualifiers. Bugby was a swimmer at Duquesne University and holds Master degrees from Arizona State and Niagara.
 
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