KIM MUSCH
Head Coach - Men's & Women's Swimming
E-mail: kmusch@ucsc.edu
Work Phone: (831) 459-3372
Fax: (831) 459-4070

Coach Musch continues to do at UCSC what he has done everywhere he has coached, give swimmers the opportunity to get faster. During his first seven seasons, the Slug Swim Team has produced 61 All-American swims, Two National Champions, Olympic Trial Qualifier, Maccabien Games Gold Medalist, and four UCSC Athletes of the Year. In addition, Coach Musch has been honored twice as UCSC Coach of the Year, and a recipient of the American Swim Coaches Association "Certificate of Excellence for Outstanding Coaching" five times.

Musch spent his collegiate career at the University of California, Berkeley from 1973-1977. In his senior year, he was elected Team Captain. During his years as a swimmer at Cal,he watched Nort Thorton take a low scoring team at the Division I NCAA meet to the top five at his senior year meet (Cal then went on to win the NCAA's in 1979 and 1980 ). After coaching stints with Santa Cruz Aquatics and Chabot College in Hayward, Musch returned to Cal in 1981 as an assistant to Nort. That same year he formed the Golden Bear Swim Club. Well over a dozen Golden Bear swimmers went on to compete in the Olympic Games for various countries during his time as Head Coach. Several World records, US Open records, Natonal records and Age-Group National Champions came out of the Golden Bear Swim Team during his tenure there, and he was able to convince coaching greats Nort Thornton, Karen Thornton, and Peter Tragitt, to join the coaching staff. Golden Bear Swim Club was a regular top five finisher at both the indoor and outdoor US National Championships. After leaving Cal, he worked several years at the Blackhawk Country Club in Danville. Although the Blackhawk Swim Team was a small team of only 30-40 year-round swimmers,they went on to have Individual Junior National Event Champions, Senior National finalists, an Olympic Trial Qualifier, High School All-Americans, and numerous National top 16 age groups award winners.
 

JOAN PEGODA
Head Coach - Men's & Women's Diving
E-mail: jpegoda@aol.com
Work Phone: (831) 459-3372
Fax: (831) 459-4070


Joan Pegoda begins her sixth year at the Helm of the UCSC Diving program. Each year, her teams have grown, and the coming year should produce an All American Finalist at Nationals. Joan is also the coach for Aptos High and Cabrillo college. She has produced some top athlete's in the sport and has been coaching over 20 years She is an All American her self.

 

 

 

 

 

JAMES CISNEROS
Assistant Coach - Men's & Women's Swimming
Work Phone: (831) 459-3372
Fax: (831) 459-4070

James Cisneros begins his sixth year as an assistant coach with the Men's & Women's Swimming and Diving Program. In addition to his duties with the program, James has been sharing his enthusiasm and experience with Shaun Guest for the past two years on the Sprint Squad. James is a firm believer that although some of us swimmers are certainly not related by blood, we are definitely bound by water. He is also the Facilities Events Coordinator, directing OPERS events all over the campus.
 

LARRY BAEDER
Breaststroke and IM Coach - Men's & Women's Swimming
Work Phone: (831) 459-3372
Fax: (831) 459-4070

Larry Baeder begins his first year as an assisstant coach with the Slugs. Baeder works with the Breaststroke and IM swimmers. Prior to joining Santa Cruz, Baeder worked with the McFarland Spartan Sharks a highly successful club in Wisconsin. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Film from the University of Wisconsin in 2004.

 

 

 

 

 

SHAUN GUEST
Sprint Coach - Men's & Women's Swimming
Work Phone: (831) 459-3372
Fax: (831) 459-4070

Shaun Guest, a UC Santa Cruz graduate and former swimmer of Kim Musch, starts his second season as the Sprint Group coach. His coaching career began in 2000 when he became an assistant coach to a summer recreational swim team. The experience motivated him to return to Santa Cruz, and swim on the UC Santa Cruz Swim Team. Years later, Shaun was hired as an assistant coach to the Nike Swim Camps, headed by Kim Musch. In addition to working with the UCSC team, Shaun also coaches for Santa Cruz Masters, Santa Cruz County Aquatics, Slug Aquatics, and the Adult Swim Fitness Program at Simpkins Community Pool. After his coaching responsibilities, he tutors students in biology, math, and spanish.

 

JOEL WILSON
Distance Coach - Men's & Women's Swimming
Work Phone: (831) 459-3372
Fax: (831) 459-4070

Coach Joel Wilson has been at UCSC since the pool was built in 1988, his primary responsibility being the Head Coach of Santa Cruz Masters. Since 2004 he has been in charge of the UCSC men's and women's distance group, the Slug "D" squad.

Wilson swam collegiately at UC Berkeley where he was Team Captain and All American in the 1650 yd. freestyle. Since his collegiate days, he has continued to swim with Santa Cruz Masters and has maintained national top-5 age group rankings in a variety of events including the 200 butterfly, 400 IM, and 1650 freestyle.

Among Coach Wilson's goals are helping all members of the "D" Squad become as knowledgeable as possible about their chosen events so that they can swim their events as fast as possible, achieving faster times each season. Another goal is to foster a love of swimming that will stay a part of each member's life forever.

Coach Wilson is proud to be associated with the men and women of Slug Swimming and Diving!