California State University, Bakersfield has announced the hiring of Eric Bugby as the new director of swimming and diving. Bugby comes to Cal State Bakersfield from Niagara University, where he served as head coach from November 2019 until April 2025.
Bugby replaces longtime coach Chris Hansen, who retired in June following a period of paid administrative leave, concluding a 17-year tenure as head coach. Hansen was initially hired in 2008 to lead the men’s team before taking over both programs as director of swimming and diving in 2011
“We are very excited to welcome Eric Bugby to the Roadrunners as our new Head Swimming and Diving Coach,” Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics Kyle Conder said in the university’s press release. “Coach Bugby is a proven program builder with a championship mindset, and his track record of elevating teams and developing student-athletes is outstanding. His values align perfectly with our vision to pursue championships and graduate leaders. We are confident that Eric will lead our swimming and diving program to new heights – in the pool, in the classroom, in the community, and beyond.”
Bugby turned Niagara into a powerhouse, taking the women from seventh place in the conference to three MAAC championships (2022, 2024, 2025) in four years. The men’s turnaround was equally impressive, jumping from ninth to first and claiming their first conference title since 1994. Bugby earned Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Women’s Coach of the Year in 2022 and swept both coaching awards in 2025.
The Purple Eagles collected over 400 program Top 10 performances, 38 MAAC titles (20 individual, 18 relay), 14 MAAC records, and two NCAA B-Cuts during Bugby’s time with the team.
Along with those time-based accomplishments, several Purple Eagles swimmers earned performance-based accolades, including Natalie Killion as 2025 MAAC Women’s Swimmer of the Meet, Alaina Pitton as 2024 MAAC Women’s Rookie of the Meet, and both Martina Divis and Lance Cruz earning Rookie of the Meet honors in 2025.
Bugby came to Niagara from Lehigh University, where he was the associate head coach for men’s and women’s swimming and diving. Prior to that, he spent a year at Denver, where the team won all 34 Summit League conference event titles in 2017. He also had previous stops as a graduate assistant at Arizona State from 2007-2009, twice at Army – West Point as an assistant from 2010-2013 and as associate head coach from 2014-2016, and as the head coach at Illinois Tech from 2013-2014.
“I’m honored and excited to be named the director of men’s and women’s swimming at Cal State Bakersfield. I want to thank Kyle Conder and Eddie Brewer for the opportunity to develop a championship team and championship culture with the CSUB swimmers and divers. Our values and goals lined up from the first phone call and it’s clear the entire department wants to achieve exceptional results in the classroom, in the pool, on the boards, and with the Bakersfield community. Keep your eyes on this program because the best is yet to come. Go `Runners!” Bugby said in the press release.
This past season, Cal State Bakersfield was 1-4 in dual meets on the men’s side before finishing fifth out of five teams at the Big West Conference Championships. The women finished with a 2-4 dual meet record and placed fifth out of six teams at the conference meet.
The ink wasn’t even dry on this article and he resigned.
And notably, an August hire. Any college head coach hired in August was usually because they were desperate (not always, but usually).
What happened to the assistant coach from New Zealand? I heard he quit
It’s incredibly rare for a new head coach to keep the prior assistant on.
He applied for the head coach job, but was passed over. He told us he’s moving to NAU.
He’s going to be a big loss for us
He didn’t quit, his contract expired at the end of the term. I heard that he applied for the HC job and wanted to stay, but also heard that CSUB administration didn’t treat him particularly well in the transition, e.g. never named (or paid) as Acting HC when Hansen was put on leave in February, and never paid for time he put in after his contract expired to keep the program running. Between this and CSUB dragging its feet in posting the position after Hansen’s retirement he probably didn’t feel terribly appreciated in the end. Good luck to him at NAU!
Uhh, wasn’t the last CSUB coach nudged out the door after after a complaint from a female swimmer? And why did Bugby resign at Niagara? Who headed up the due diligence dept?
Thankfully not you. Niagara had one of the lowest budgets in the MAAC, an indifferent athletic department who despite the team’s success was like pulling teeth to get more resources from. Bugby + the team was cleared from the issue at Niagara and yet the school refused to comment on it. In fact, swimswam even falsely reported on it as well when he left Niagara until the team stuck up for him and the article was rectified. If you’ve never been on deck with him as your coach (you haven’t) then maybe you should type less, train more and leave the conversation to the athletes that know him.
You miss the point of my comment. I’m not saying that Bugby was responsible (or not responsible) for the situation at Niagara. Frankly I can’t find anything on where the 2022 litigation stands after the complaint was filed. Until a claim is proven in court it’s all just allegations. (Remember Duke Lacrosse? I do.) What I’m saying is that it’s a bit hypocritical for CSUB to nudge one coach into retirement over an unproven allegation and then hire another with essentially the same baggage.
At least it’s good to know Bugby is used to not having any financial support, because now he’ll have to deal with that AND trying to convince recruits to come to Bakersfield at the same… Read more »
This is a great hire! They’ll do very well under coach Bugby. Very big culture change coming to Bakersfield
An absolute stud!! Huge hire for CSUB!
The best to do it 👏 Huge gain for UCSB
Uhhh
He failed acronyms 101
I have seen better.
I don’t know whether congrats or sympathies are in order. It is Bakersfield after all.
Gold Medal Mel used to live in Bakersfield. Don’t knock until you have lived there.
I’d say a congratulations considering his success at Niagara and the fact that CSUB is in the exact situation Niagara was 6 years ago. If you’re confused on this then oh boy you must be fun at parties