The new UW-Madison women's swimming and diving coach outlined his goals for the season to the university's Athletic Board Friday.
Whitney Hite said he was excited to join UW-Madison athletics.
""Madison has a great combination of athletics and academics,"" Hite said. ""I've been in places where the academic piece hasn't been so strong. For me, salesman regarding recruitment, this place is pretty easy to sell.""
Hite was a four-year swimmer for the University of Texas during his college career. He served as an assistant coach at the universities of Georgia, California and Arizona, and was head coach at the University of Washington.
Hite said under his leadership, the swim and dive program has undergone reform, emphasizing the athletes' academics. Under a new policy, if athletes are not able to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA they are required to spend more time in a study hall.
Additionally, Hite said the coaching staff has introduced the team to tougher workouts and installed a new spin room, with the student athletes having reviewed the new policies before implementation.
Hite said he plans to also take a different approach to recruiting new swimmers, saying he would prefer to recruit athletes from within Wisconsin.
""I'd like to get the kids from just around the block,"" Hite said. ""We need to get to know students well instead of ‘Oh, you're great, you're tall and you can swim fast.'""
Also at the meeting, Athletic Director Barry Alvarez said he ""couldn't be more proud"" of the atmosphere in Madison the weekend of the Nebraska football game.
""[Bascom] looked like a postcard,"" said Alvarez. ""I don't know how we were able to afford a two-hour infomercial, but that's what it was.""
Alvarez also discussed the e-mail he and head football coach Bret Bielema sent to student season ticket holders asking them to end profane cheers at football games, which he said are offensive to many who both attend the games and view them on television.
Board member Sheila McGuirk said the issue was ""worthy of momentum to continue a discussion.""
