Swimming

Incarnate Word Head Swim Coach Phil Davis Resigns Mid-Season

December 28, 2022

University of Incarnate Word head swimming & diving coach Phil Davis has resigned from his position mid-season. Andrii Nikishenko has been promoted to be the program’s interim head coach.

Davis was hired as the head coach of the women’s program in 2006, and a year later founded the men’s program. At the time, the school was an NCAA Division II team. In 2013, the school began competing in Division I, and the men’s team immediately won its first CCSA Conference title in the 2013-2014 season.

Davis was named the CSCAA National Coach of the Year for NCAA Division II Men’s Swimming & Diving in 2010 after the team finished as national runners-up that year.

Davis remains the head coach of Streamline Aquatics in San Antonio. The team trains out of three pools in San Antonio, including Incarnate Word’s Ann Barshop Natatorium.

Incarnate Word has raced in a handful of meets this fall, with about half of their opponents being in Division I (Houston, Rice, SMU), and the rest being Division II programs. After years in the CCSA, a swimming-specific conference, UIW is competing in the MPSF this season after backing out of a deal to join the WAC.

Nikishenko is a program alumni, originally from Ukraine, graduating with a degree in sports management in 2016. Nikishenko previously served as a graduate assistant and volunteer assistant with the program since graduating.

Like a lot of the UIW coaching staff, he also works as an assistant coach with Streamline Aquatics, the club owned by Davis, where he has coached since August 2015. UIW assistant Luke Shaw and student assistant Gracie Redding both also coach with Streamline Aquatics.

As of publishing, Davis has not responded to a request for comment.