--Courtesy of Chapman Athletics--
ORANGE, Calif. – Chapman University Athletics has announced that alumnus Jason Willman '22 has been elevated to the Interim Head Coach of the men's and women's swimming & diving programs for the 2026-27 season.
"I am humbled and excited to be named Interim Head Coach for the Chapman University Swimming and Diving teams. Chapman feels like home to me, and I am honored to be able to continue advancing the university and working with our student-athletes in this role."
Willman takes over a program he originally came to as a student-athlete and becomes the fifth Chapman alumnus to become the Head Coach of the program they once competed for. He joins Mary Cahill (women's volleyball), Janet Lloyd (softball), Eddie Carrillo (men's soccer) and Dan Krikorian (men's basketball).
"Coach Willman's coaching aptitude and swimming IQ, emphasis on team culture, recruiting philosophy, and deep ties to our program made him the clear choice to be the next leader of our swim & dive programs," said Interim Director of Athletics Doug Aiken. "He's played an important role in the rise of our men's and women's programs over the past several seasons and we're confident he will continue to elevate our student-athletes within the SCIAC and on a national level."
His journey to Chapman began as a transfer from Mt. SAC in the fall of 2019. He swam for two seasons while finishing his degree, graduating in 2022 with a degree in Strategic & Corporate Communications. He immediately became a volunteer assistant for the 2022-23 season and was elevated to Chapman's first full-time assistant coach for swimming & diving in 2023-24.
Willman's coaching career has coincided with the rise of Chapman swimming & diving. As an assistant, he has helped the Panthers' men's team rise from a sixth place team in 2022 to a third place finish in each of the last two seasons. The women's team has also maintained its status as a third place finisher in each of the last three seasons. During his three seasons as a full-time assistant coach, Chapman had 34 All-SCIAC finishes (top-3 at SCIAC Championships).
While coaching the Panthers, Willman has also completed his Master's from Chapman with a degree in Leadership Development.
Willman will immediately begin in his new role and will work toward filling out his coaching staff for the 2026-27 season.
Willman added, "The swim and dive program has come a long way in the seven years that I have been affiliated with it, and I am confident that we have just begun to scratch the surface for what this program is capable of. Go Panthers!"
Follow the SCIAC on Threads (@theSCIAC), X - formerly Twitter (@theSCIAC) and Instagram (@thesciac) with hashtags #SCIACtion and #SoCalSoGood. Watch all home SCIAC games, matches, and meets online through FloSports: https://flosports.link/SCIAC