MEADVILLE, Pa. – Allegheny head swimming and diving coach Kirk Kumbier has announced his resignation in order to pursue a coaching opportunity at the University of California-San Diego.
 
Kumbier, who first joined the Gator coaching staff as an assistant coach in 2011, has served as head coach since the 2013-14 season. He has accepted an assistant coach position at UC-San Diego.
 
"I am grateful for the opportunity I've had to coach at Allegheny," he said. "I want to thank our former athletic director, Portia Hoeg, and President James Mullen, for offering me the opportunity to coach at Allegheny and in the North Coast Athletic Conference.  It has been an honor to serve our student-athletes.
 
"I would also like to thank our administrators, support staff, professors, the Meadville community, and especially our team, assistant coaches, volunteers, and alumni," he added. "The time together with this family has been an amazing experience, and Allegheny will always hold a special place in my heart. I am grateful for my time as a Gator, and looking forward to continuing my career in serving the student-athletes at UCSD."
 
During his tenure with the Gators, Kumbier saw nine different athletes break a total of 14 different team records, while seven posted NCAA qualifying times in 10 different events. Over the past five seasons, Kumbier has seen his athletes establish over 660 lifetime bests.
 
In addition to their success in the pool, Kumbier's student-athletes have also excelled in the classroom, as the Allegheny women have earned College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America team honors in 10 of the last 11 semesters dating to the spring of 2013, and the men eight.

"I'd like to thank Kirk for all that he has done for our swimming and diving program, and for Allegheny College as a whole," said Allegheny Interim Athletic Director Bill Ross. "He has done a fine job in leading so many student-athletes over his tenure here, and I congratulate him on his new position.  I am proud to see that yet another member of our coaching staff has received such a tremendous opportunity, and I am confident that he will continue to thrive in his new role in San Diego."

 At UC-San Diego, Kumbier will work under head coach David Marsh and associate head coach Marko Djordevic as the Tritons are currently in the midst of transitioning into the NCAA Division I ranks after participating in the Division II California Collegiate Athletic Association. For the 2018-19 season, UC-San Diego will compete in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, competing against Division I foes Hawaii, Brigham Young, UC-Santa Barbara, UC-Davis, San Luis Obispo, and the University of the Pacific.
 
In addition to recruiting and on-deck coaching, Kumbier will also assist with all facets of the UC-San Diego swim clinics and summer camps, as he boasts over a decade of camp experience, having worked at the Michigan Wolverine Swim Camp, Salo swim Camp, Bauerle Bulldog Camps, and Total Performance Elite Camps.

A nationwide search for Kumbier's replacement at Allegheny is underway.