IU swimming Coach Ray Looze was named the women’s head coach for Team USA at the 2014 FINA Short Course World Championships, USA Swimming announced Thursday.
The Championships are set to take place Dec. 3-7 in Doha, Qatar.
Former IU swimmers Lindsay Vrooman and Cody Miller, who both graduated after last season, will compete.
“We will be going up against some of the very best swimmers across the globe,” Looze said in a Nov. 6 release. “This is an excellent men’s and women’s team and staff that has been assembled by USA Swimming, and we intend to uphold the high-level reputation this country has had in the sport of swimming over the past several decades.”
Looze is in his 13th season as a head coach at IU. After three seasons as just the women’s coach, he has spent the past 10 at the helm of both the men’s and women’s programs.
Last season, Looze led the men to a top-10 finish at the NCAA Championships.
For the women, then-sophomore Brooklynn Snodgrass became the second individual NCAA Champion in IU swimming history.
Snodgrass was also the Big Ten Swimmer of the Year, and Looze coached Gia Dalesandro to Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
In addition to Vrooman and Miller, 34 other Americans will be competing at next month’s meet. Looze’s women’s team consists of 20 swimmers.
This is the 12th FINA Swimming World Championships and will take place over a five-day span at the Hamad Aquatic Center in Doha.
The meet consists of 46 events, and 138 medals will be awarded.
“International swimming has always been important to Indiana University, as is represented by our 61 Olympic medals and this is another step in the process of that university-wide commitment,” Looze said. “I am honored and humbled to be the head women’s coach and will do all I can to bring about a successful result for Team USA.”
Grace Palmieri
