Courtesy: Army Athletics
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Army West Point Athletics and Director of Athletics Mike Buddie have announced today, Wednesday, Sept. 11th, a new multi-year contract extension for Director of Swimming & Diving Brandt Nigro. Nigro’s new contract will see him remain at the head of the Black Knights’ Swimming & Diving program through the 2029 season.
“We are thrilled to have extended Coach Nigro’s tenure at the Academy,” commented Army West Point Director of Athletics Mike Buddie. “His results in the pool and on the recruiting trail have been truly remarkable, and we can’t wait to support his efforts to continue the upward trajectory of our program. Our cadets have grown in every facet of development under his watch, and we are excited that Brandt will continue to recruit, educate, train, and inspire future leaders of character for the Army.”
Nigro took over at the helm of Army Swimming & Diving in the summer of 2019 and has since led the program to new heights.
“I would like to thank Mike Buddie and our leadership team for the confidence they have placed in me and our Swimming & Diving staff to guide this program,” said Director of Swimming & Diving Brandt Nigro. “The opportunity to work with our cadet-athletes and coaching staff is a tremendous honor and privilege. We have created an environment that challenges and supports those within it to be the best version of themselves in all areas.”
In Nigro’s five seasons in charge of the Black Knights, the program has seen marked improvement over recent years, including the men’s team earning their first victory over Navy since 1990 in 2022 and a Patriot League Coach of the Year selection for Nigro in 2023.
The Black Knights saw their first NCAA qualifier since 1987 in the 2023-24 season as then-sophomore Kohen Rankin earned a spot at the NCAA Championships with his record-setting 51.62 100 breast showing at the ECAC Championships in March.
Army’s squad continued to earn recognition for their excellence under Nigro as they sent five athletes to the 2024 U.S. Olympic Time Trials in June including the program’s first female representative at the Trials with Aurelie Migault and the program’s first athlete to compete in multiple events as Kalvin Hahn swam in both the 400 IM and the 200 breast.
“As a father, the opportunity to raise my kids within the West Point atmosphere and culture is second to none,” Nigro continued. “The cadet-athletes in our program have become mentors and friends to them and I love knowing that my kids are watching and learning from the best of the best each day.”
Nigro’s first season leading Army’s program saw the teams finish second overall in the league with seven First Team All-Patriot League selections, nine Second Team All-Patriot League selections, and three Academic All-Patriot League selections across the two squads.
In the following seasons, Nigro has chipped away at the point differentials between Army and familiar foe Navy during the Patriot League Championships, from a nearly 500-point difference in his first season to 183.5 points for the women’s team to a drop from 256 points to just a 10-point differential between the men’s teams from 2019 to 2023.
Army has continued to produce All-Patriot League selections in Nigro’s tenure at the helm, totaling 32 First Team selections, 37 Second Team selections, and 13 Patriot League All-Academic selections across his five years with the program.
As the dawn of Nigro’s sixth season with the program approaches, the Black Knights have secured their first nationally ranked recruiting class in program history as the incoming men’s plebe class was named the 15th best recruiting class in the nation by SwimSwam.com ahead of programs such as Minnesota, Michigan, Yale, Princeton, and Georgia. The selection marks the first time a mid-major program has earned a spot in the rankings to-date.
Nigro has accumulated a 45-29 dual meet record while leading the Black Knights with a 20-11 mark against league opponents.
“We have accomplished so much in my first five seasons here and for that I’m very proud,” Nigro finished. “However, no one within our program is satisfied with only getting this far, and because of that we will continue our relentless pursuit of excellence every day!”
The Black Knights are slated for an exciting 2024-25 campaign, highlighted by a dual meet at Minnesota in October, an appearance at the NC State Invite in November, and an electric home-pool advantage for the team’s annual Star Meet against Navy in December.
Nigro and the Black Knights will seek to snap Navy’s Patriot League win streak at the 2024 Patriot League Championships, held in Lewisburg, Pa. over Feb.19-21st.
