Women's Swim & Dive August 07, 2025

Eric Bugby to Lead Roadrunner Swim & Dive Program

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Cal State Bakersfield Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics Kyle Conder has announced the hire of Eric Bugby as the Roadrunners' new Director of Swimming & Diving.

Bugby joins CSUB after winning three Coach of the Year awards and four conference championships over six seasons as the Head Coach at Niagara University in New York. 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.

"We are very excited to welcome Eric Bugby to the Roadrunners as our new Head Swimming and Diving Coach," Conder said. "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 expressed his eagerness to leap off the blocks with the `Runners:

"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 brings nearly two decades of coaching experience to Bakersfield. At each stop, Bugby produced success by recruiting staff and student-athletes who bought into being part of a team, not just on a team. 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, which all bode well for the future of CSUB Swim & Dive. Stay tuned with the `Runners via GoRunners.com and on social media (@csub_swim) as Bugby ushers Cal State Bakersfield into a new era.

CSUB Athletics is the NCAA Division I program for Bakersfield and Kern County. The Roadrunners have claimed 30 national championships and 215 individual national titles. Located in the 9th largest city in California, CSUB Athletics sponsors 16 sports and is a proud member of The Big West and Pac-12. Buy tickets to all Cal State Bakersfield home competitions by visiting GoRunners.com/Tickets and support CSUB Athletics' vision to Pursue Championships and Graduate Leaders by donating to the Roadrunner Club at GoRunners.com/Give.

~GoRunners.com~

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Eric Bugby to Lead Roadrunner Swim & Dive Program