ITHACA, N.Y. – Following a national search, Ithaca College Associate Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Susan Bassett '79 is pleased to announce the hiring of Mike Blakely-Armitage '00 as the next head coach of the men's and women's swimming and diving programs. Blakely-Armitage was in the midst of his second stint as an associate head coach of the program and will begin his appointment immediately.

"It is with great pleasure, confidence and Bomber pride that I announce the promotion of Mike Blakely-Armitage '00, as our next head men's and women's swimming and diving coach," said Susan Bassett '79, Associate Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics.

"Since rejoining our staff in 2019, Mike has demonstrated exceptional effectiveness in recruiting and coaching.  Through the search process, Coach Blakely-Armitage painted a vision for the future of the program that aligns with the vision and mission of Ithaca College Athletics' aspiration to consistently compete at a high level while providing a meaningful educational experience for our students. I look forward to seeing how Coach Blakely-Armitage will build on our tradition of success in swimming and diving."

Most recently, he helped guide the Ithaca women's program to their fourth-straight Liberty League Championship where they shined during the four-day conference meet as they totaled 1,619 points holding off Vassar (1,277) and RPI (1,369). The IC men's program finished as runners-up with a team total of 1,538.5 team points as RIT won the Liberty League Championship totaling 1,782.5. The Bombers qualified a combined 14 swimmers and divers that competed in the 2023 NCAA Division III Championships, which saw seven All-American finishes.

"I want to thank Susan Bassett and the entire search committee for entrusting me with the responsibility of guiding our current and future Bombers towards academic and athletic excellence," said Blakely-Armitage. "Their commitment to excellence while supporting a robust student-athlete experience was evident throughout the entire search process."

Prior to his return to South Hill, Blakely-Armitage served as the head men's swimming and diving coach at Ithaca High School for 10 years (2009-19) as well as the women's head coach from 2015-19. During his time with the Little Red, the men's team had a perfect 72-0 dual meet record and won eight Section IV titles, while notching 17 All-Americans and breaking three state records. The men's team also boasted four individual, three relay state champions and numerous Academic All-Americans during that time. On the women's side, the Little Red compiled a dual meet record of 27-1 and won three Section IV titles.

"It is an honor to be named the head coach for swimming and diving at Ithaca College. I am thrilled to be able to lead the Bombers into the next chapter in our historic program. Our commitment to excellence on South Hill is and will continue to be the standard by which other programs strive for," concluded Blakely-Armitage. 

A search for a full time assistant men's and women's swimming coach will commence immediately.