“Three Decades in a Splash: The Gilson Family’s Journey with WVU Swimming and Diving”

MORGANTOWN, W.VA. – Numerous names and faces have traversed the West Virginia University swimming and diving program since its beginning. So many, in fact, it would take considerable time to read the complete list of student-athletes who have represented the Mountaineers in the water and the diving platform.

Amid all the years and transformations the program has experienced, one name persistently emerges.

Gilson.

Kevin Gilson held the position of the men’s swimming and diving head coach from 1967-96, and the women’s swimming and diving head coach from 1980-86. Under his guidance, WVU celebrated six All-Americans, 27 NCAA qualifiers, and one Olympian.

 

“As I reflect on the swimming program here and all the family involvement I had with it, it transitioned from being a job into more of a passion,” Gilson stated. “I truly enjoyed going to work. I loved teaching and I loved coaching, and 30 years passed by astonishingly fast.”

Gilson concluded his career with a cumulative record of 290-153-1 overseeing both programs (191-100-1 for the men and 93-53 with the women’s team). He also secured 10 Eastern League championships and four Atlantic 10 titles for the men’s squad, in addition to three Atlantic 10 accolades for the women’s team.

When Kevin speaks of family involvement, he is being sincere. While he was head coach, Kevin instructed his daughters, Shawn, Erin, and Tara, and his wife, Elizabeth, was deeply engaged, performing tasks from running the clock to even acting as an assistant coach.

“It allowed us to strengthen our bond,” Gilson remarked. “My daughters swam under my supervision. My wife was my right-hand. [She managed the] table, was the announcer, timer, all those kinds of roles.”

After concluding her collegiate swimming journey, Shawn took on the role of an assistant coach on her father’s staff. Shawn expresses that it is a privilege to have her family’s name so closely linked to a program like West Virginia’s.

“It has truly been a privilege to be associated with the swimming program,” Shawn observed. “It wasn’t merely a career; it was a family endeavor. It was wonderful to grow up witnessing all these swimmers, observing the influence we had on them and the influence they had on us.”

 

Erin swam under her father’s guidance from 1988-91, and she treasured the moments spent with him both in the pool and out of it.

“We got to spend so much time with him,” Erin reflected. “He was occupied from 5 a.m. until 8 p.m. every day. Growing up, throughout high school and middle school, we had two-a-days. We had a wealth of time with him.

“There were challenging moments, as he was our father, but at the pool, he was not our father; he was our coach. Thus, he was just as demanding on us, if not more at times. I wouldn’t exchange it for anything.”

As the years went by during his tenure, the WVU swimming and diving program achieved unprecedented success. At certain points, West Virginia was regarded as a powerhouse in collegiate swimming, remaining undefeated in 1980 and 1983.

Through all that advancement, Gilson reminisces about the initial stages before the program transitioned to a new facility at the WVU Natatorium (now the Athletics Performance Center near the WVU Coliseum).

“Initially, we had a very old pool,” Gilson recalled. “The roof was caving in, the shower facilities were not functioning well. When water pooled on the deck and it became cold, the following morning we would arrive to find ice puddles.

“Eventually, in ’76, we moved into the Natatorium. That was a significant pleasure for me and for the swimmers. They adored that new facility. Observing the level that the program has achieved in recent years has filled me with immense pride to be part of WVU swimming.”

Kevin Gilson was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 2015 for his years of commitment and accomplishments with the Mountaineers. When queried about what it was like to coach so many student-athletes, Coach Gilson found it difficult to only mention a few.

Nonetheless, the family wanted to ensure that everyone involved in the program during the Gilson family’s era made a lasting impression on them.

“We estimate that after being there over 30 years, as my mom mentioned, 44 kids every year times 30, that’s a substantial number of names,” Erin shared. “Many made an impact on us that we feel compelled to recognize.”