Jason Hite, a former Panthers swimmer and graduate assistant,enters his third season as an assistant coach and leads the distance group for both men's and women's swimming.
Hite, 39, served as head coach of the prep program at Springfield's Kickapoo High School for the past nine years. He replaced Jason Owen, who left DU last month to become head coach of the men's and women's swimming program at Lindenwood University in St. Charles.
"It's always kind of been a career dream of mine to get to coach back at Drury again with Brian," Hite says. "Swimming is a passion of mine, and to combine that with my alma mater is very exciting. To be a part of continuing the great tradition of swimming at Drury is also very exciting to me."
Hite is a 1997 Drury graduate with a degree in Elementary Education who spent the two years afterward as a graduate assistant coach for Reynolds while earning his masters degree in Gifted Education.
A former 200 Fly specialist and Academic All-American for the Panthers, Hite has served as an instructor at the Phelps Center for the Gifted in Springfield since 1999, when he also began his prep coaching career by guiding the Parkview High program for four years.
The Drury men's swimming squad is the nine-time defending NCAA-II national champions, while the DU women have captured five of the past six D-II national titles.
Hite and wife Heidi reside in Springfield with sons Ethan (11), Harrison (10) and Max (7).
