The Stanford women’s swimming announced a newly endowed coaching position made possible by a gift from Paul Violich and family on June 20. The endowment is used to sponsor excellence in coaching, and the first recipient is head coach Greg Meehan.

Paul Violich ’57 MBA ’62 was a Cardinal swimmer and water polo player, and he now resides in the Bay Area where he raised his five kids. Violich also played rugby during his time as a graduate student.

Violich told Swimming World Magazine that “our gift to endow the women’s coaching position follows my long connection with Stanford Athletics, and I am proud of the [athletics] department’s phenomenal success.”

Head swim coach at Stanford, Greg Meehan, has expressed gratitude for the generosity of the Violich Family, along with the rest of the swimming community.

“Paul and his family have made an incredible commitment to the legacy of Stanford swimming,” Meehan told Swimming World. “The impact on the present and future scholar-athletes in our program will be felt for a very long time.”

In Stanford’s history, a total of 24 positions in the athletics department have been endowed. The donation from the Violich Family is one of several coaching endowments in the past few years. In 2016, the Football team’s quarterback coaching position was endowed, as well as an endowment to Football’s defensive coordinator position in honor of Willie Shaw.

“I am thrilled to have a family that is so passionate about Stanford Athletics be proud to connect their name to such a successful program and coach,” said athletics director Bernard Muir on Go Stanford.

This past season, the Stanford Women’s Swim team claimed the Division One NCAA championship title for the first time since 1998. The Cardinal was led to victory by Olympians Katie Ledecky ’20 and Simone Manuel ’18.

Contact Riley Guggenhim at 20rguggenhime ‘at’ castilleja.org.