SALEM, West Virginia - With the winter weather in full effect across north central West Virginia, the Salem University Athletic Department continues to roll out exciting news about the future of Salem Tigers Athletics.
One such announcement was the reboot of Salem's men's and women's swimming programs, which was released back in December. In that announcement, it was reported that a national search for a head coach would begin immediately. Now, that search has concluded, and the Salem Athletics Department is proud to announce Justin Kassab as the new head coach for Salem's men's and women's swimming programs.
Kassab is a familiar name for the Tigers as he previously coached the Salem women's water polo program from 2017 through 2022. Kassab led the Tigers to 2 NCAA postseason births in that time, and he assisted with the swimming programs at Salem at that time. Since leaving Salem, Kassab has worked with NCAA Division I Mount Saint Mary's, where he got back into the swimming realm as an assistant coach. On top of his recent swimming experience, he worked in the club swimming world prior to coaching water polo here at Salem. Kassab clearly brings a diverse and well-rounded aquatic background in his return to Salem.
When asked his thoughts on the new position, Kassab had this to say, ""I wouldn't have this opportunity if Coach Yost and the staff and swimmers at Mount Saint Mary's hadn't given me a chance to get back into NCAA swim coaching and rekindle my love for my first sport. Having worked under a number of great coaches in the 15 years of aquatic coaching, I'm excited that Salem University will be giving me the means to showcase that experience in a head coaching role. I look forward to building a competitive program in a strong region."
Athletic Director Alex Joseph added the following when asked about Kassab's return to the pool deck at Salem, "We are really excited to bring Justin back to Salem in this new role. We know Justin can build a successful program here at Salem, and our swimming programs definitely need the kind of leadership we have known Justin to bring to his teams."
The entire Salem Athletic Department would like to welcome Justin Kassab back to the fold, and we look forward to helping him build strong, successful, and robust swimming programs here on both the men's and women's sides of the pool.
