California State University, Bakersfield has announced that swimming & diving assistant coach Ryan Brimer has been named the Interim Director of Swimming and Diving.
The move comes on the heels of Head Coach and Director of Swimming Eric Bugby resignation from his position less than three months after the school announced his hiring on August 7th. Bugby replaced Chris Hansen, who retired after being placed on administrative leave in February of last year following 17 years with the program.
“Ryan stepped up immediately in a difficult moment for our program, offering stability and clarity when it was most needed,” said Dr. Sarah Tuohy, CSUB’s Acting Director of Athletics said in the university’s press release. “Our student-athletes trust him and have responded to his leadership. He is absolutely the right person at the right time for our student-athletes and the swim and dive program.”
Brimer, a program alum, was in his second season as an assistant coach before the promotion.
While swimming for CSUB, Brimer was a two-year captain and four-time All-Conference honoree, with his best finish coming as a senior when he touched second in the 200 free at the MPSF Championships.
Brimer graduated in May 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics, concentrating in Supply Chain Logistics and Data Analytics.
Prior to entering the coaching realm, he worked for two years as a Capital Analyst for The Wonderful Company.
Beyond his collegiate role, Brimer also leads Roadrunner Aquatics, a local club that has about 200 swimmers ranging from learn-to-swim to a Masters program.
“I am honored for the opportunity to lead the program this year, Brimer said, “and I am committed to pushing our standard forward alongside this incredible group of student-athletes.”
Brimer has brought on two additional alumni to assist with the remainder of the season: Dillon Smith and Richie Campbell. Smith graduated this past May, while Campbell was part of the team’s class of 2020.
Last season, the Roadrunner women’s team placed 5th out of six teams at the 2025 Big West Championships, while the men finished 5th out of five teams, with junior Vili Sivec winning conference titles in the men’s 100 and 200 fly.
Following the Big West meet, CSUB sent Sivec to the Bulldog NCAA Qualifying Meet, where he set a new school record in the 100 free in a time of 41.98, which ultimately saw him fall short of the NCAA Championship cutline by three one-hundredths of a second.
All of the gentlemen stepping up are good people. They’ll make the best of a bad situation.