Swimming and Diving
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- j.winchester@tcu.edu
James Winchester was named TCU’s head swimming and diving coach on April 26, 2018. He has helped ascend TCU to new heights, as the program has seen consistent improvement during his tenure.
Most recently, TCU earned 14 medals at the Big 12 Championships, as both the men’s and women’s team took home fourth-place finishes. Filip Suchanski went on to the NCAA Championships, where he competed in the 200 back and 400 IM. A total of 17 student-athletes from the program went on to garner All-Big 12 honors for the 2024-25 season.
During the 2023-24 campaign, the Horned Frogs swept the National Invitational Championship, winning both the men’s and women’s title for the first time in its program history. TCU then went on two have two athletes represent them in the Summer Olympics for the first time since 2016, as Rhanishka Gibbs and Jadon Wuilliez took their talents to Paris.
The Frogs captured another historical season in 2022-23 with three TCU athletes competing in the NCAA Championships. David Ekdahl and Jadon Wuilliez both competed in the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard and 100 breaststroke, respectively. Alec Hubbard finished in 22nd place in the platform, becoming the highest finishing diver at the NCAA Championships in TCU history.
Geremia Freri concluded a historical year at the National Invitational Championships appearing multiple times on the podium. Freri set a new program high in the men's 100 IM (48.98) and placed third in the men's 200 breast (1:55.97).
The 2021-22 season was historic for TCU as Winchester led the Horned Frogs to new heights. The men’s program finished as the runner-up in the Big 12 Conference while the women finished third. TCU swimming and diving competed at the National Invitational Championships where the men sketched a top three finish and the women earned a top 10 position. Continued success saw three Horned Frogs qualify for the NCAA Championships for the first time in eight years. Collectively, TCU was honored 20 times by the Big 12 Conference weekly awards.
To wrap up the season, Winchester was named the National Invitational Championship Men’s Coach of the Year, and swimmer Geremia Freri was tabbed Men’s Swimmer of the Year.
In the 2020-21 season, TCU set all-time records across the board. The men’s side finished runners-up in the conference while cracking five school records in the process.Two Horned Frogs earned swimmer of the week honors: Janis Silins and Megan Morris. TCU also had one newcomer of the week in Emma Hultquist. The men’s diving team finished third in the conference. Two divers qualified for the NCAA Zone D diving championships for the third straight year.
Winchester concluded his second season with both the men’s and women’s teams finishing third in the conference. At the Big 12 Championships, Winchester’s squad broke seven school records. During his second stint, two horned frogs finished with Big 12 Conference weekly honors, Izzy Ashdown (Nov. 13) and Dusan Babic (Jan. 22).
In Winchester’s first season as head coach, he led the women’s team to a fourth place finish in the Big 12 Conference, the highest in five years. At the National Invitational Championships, TCU’s men’s team finished top five as a team while the women’s team came in tenth. Two Horned Frog swimmers broke school records: Danye Oddendaal in the 200m free and Noah Cumby in the 100m free. Four swimmers qualified for the NIC finals with three posting top 10 finishes.
Winchester came to the Horned Frogs after serving the previous three years as head coach at George Washington University. He led the Colonials’ men’s program to Atlantic-10 championships in 2017 and 2018. The 2017 title marked the first in program history. Both seasons saw him named A-10 Coach of the Year. Additionally, he was the Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year at the 2018 CSCAA National Invitational Championship as the George Washington men and women both recorded top-10 finishes.
George Washington made three consecutive NCAA Championship appearances under Winchester. The Colonials set 84 school records during his tenure. Winchester produced a two-time All-American, three A-10 Performers of the Year and a conference Rookie of the Year as well as 20 first team and 12 second-team all-A-10 selections. He also sent swimmers to the Olympics, World Championships, World University Games and Commonwealth Games.
During his coaching career, Winchester has mentored nine national champions, 40 All-Americans and five top-100 world-ranked student-athletes while also securing numerous top-25 nationally-ranked recruiting classes. He has been part of programs totaling 34 Academic All-America team awards.
Before taking over the head duties at George Washington, Winchester was a two-time honorable-mention NCAA Assistant Coach of the Year at Utah. He also served as the Utes’ head recruiting coordinator and interim head coach. Utah’s men’s and women’s programs posted four NCAA Championship appearances and three top-25 recruiting classes during his time (2012-15) in Salt Lake City.
Winchester’s first head coaching opportunity came during his four years (2007-11) at New Orleans. After arriving as an assistant coach, he was promoted to head coach. He started the men’s program and rebuilt the women’s team post-Hurricane Katrina. He had a top-25 ranked recruiting class in 2008 and the 2010 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Swimmer of the Year.
Winchester began his coaching career in 2006 at Drury. He was an assistant coach as Drury’s men’s and women’s teams won the 2007 NCAA Division II National Championship. During his time there, he coached former world record holder, 2007 European champion and 2008 Olympic finalist Roman Sludnov (Russia).
As a student-athlete, Winchester competed for the Louisville swimming and diving team before earning his degree in business administration in 2004. He received his MBA from Drury in 2008.
