Florida Atlantic University Adds Ryan Bubb To Swimming & Diving Coaching Staff

Courtesy: FAU Sports

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic University swimming & diving team and head coach Lara Preacco have announced the addition of Ryan Bubb to the coaching staff. Bubb joins the Owls after serving as the founding head coach of Midland University’s men’s and women’s swimming & diving programs.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Ryan to the FAU swimming and diving family,” said head coach Lara Preacco. “As a former DI swimmer and Olympic Trial qualifier (multiple times),  he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our team. Ryan’s focus on details, stroke work and recruiting will make an immediate impact on our team. He is hardworking, passionate and excited to become an Owl. His commitment and dedication to help us in our quest to win championships, bring athletes to the NCAA Championships and continue to build a thriving team culture will be pivotal. Ryan will be a great addition and fit within FAU athletics and FAU swimming & diving.”

Bubb comes to FAU from Midland in Fremont, Nebraska where he was hired to start the programs in 2016. As the head coach, he saw three of his teams compete at the NAIA National Swimming & Diving Championships. The men’s and women’s teams competed at the NAIA Championships in 2018-19 and the men’s team won back-to-back Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) Championships in 2019-20 and 2020-21.

“I am so excited and thankful for the opportunity to join Coach Preacco’s staff,” said Preacco. “Through our conversations, I have learned how deeply she cares about the student-athletes that she coaches. I am looking forward to working with Coach Preacco and Zajic in molding the young men and women on the FAU swim & dive team to become champions in the classroom, community and pool. I am blessed to have to have the opportunity to work with the student-athletes and the university. Go Owls!”

For the past two seasons, the NAIA Championships have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To make up for the lost competition this past year, the team competed at the Collegiate Swimming Championships in Fort Pierce, Florida. The men’s team placed third and the women’s team took fourth.

Bubb led the men’s team to a 10th place showing at the 2019 NAIA National Championships in the team’s second year of existence. In two seasons, he had 30 individual qualifiers reach the national tournament on both the men’s and women’s side. Bubb also served as the Conference Chair of the swimming division of the KCAC, which was initiated in 2019.

Before Midland, Bubb coached two seasons at Lincoln Southwest High School (2015-17). At Lincoln Southwest, Bubb’s women’s team earned back-to-back Nebraska State Championships while setting 10 state swimming records. The Silver Hawks were ranked in the top 10 nationally in both of Bubb’s seasons as the head coach. During his stint at Lincoln Southwest, Bubb was also the head age group coach at Heartland Aquatics.

Bubb was a four-year varsity letterman and a part of a four-time Big Ten Championship-winning team at Ohio State University from 2010-14. He left Ohio State with a myriad of top 10 times across numerous events in the program’s all-time record book. As the team captain in 2014, Bubb was also a two-time Ohio State Scholar Athlete and two-time Big Ten All-Academic Team choice. He graduated from Ohio State with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in art and technology in 2015.

In 2012, Bubb participated at the Olympic Trial Qualifiers in the 200-meter butterfly. He also competed at the 2016 Olympic Trials in the 50-meter freestyle.

At the high school level, Bubb was a five-time Nebraska State Champion and broke two state records at Lincoln East High School. Bubb was a member of the U18 USA National Team in 2010 that competed in Barcelona, Spain. He also finished in third in the 50-meter freestyle at the United States Junior National Championships in 2009.

Bubb joins Coach Preacco who is in her eighth season at the helm, as well as Ben Zajic, who just completed his first stint on staff this past season.

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