After 17 years as Iowa State’s women’s swim coach, Ramsey VanHorn will not be returning in the fall.

The ISU Athletic Department’s decision was made, and Van Horn’s contract was not renewed for the 1997-1998 season. Van Horn has coached women’s swimming at ISU since the 1979-1980 season.

ISU Atheletic Director Gene Smith said the department has decided “to seek a new direction for our women’s swim program.”

“We wish him well in his future endeavors,” Smith said.

The athletic department is now in the process of hiring a new coach. The field of prospective coaches has been narrowed down to three. The three coaches were given campus tours last week by Mara Paape, senior swimmer and sports management/exercise science major.

“The swimmers want a new coach with a motivating and winning attitude,” Paape said. “The transition to the Big 12 was very hard this year. We did not have a good experience.”

The decision from the athletic department hiring committee is to be handed down during the middle of July.

“What I am looking for is a good leader that shares our department’s philosophy of trying to focus on the whole athlete and trying to focus on developing the individual,” Smith said.

The three candidates are currently head coaches of their programs. Leigh Ann Fetter-Witt is from James Madison University in Virginia; Michael Litzinger is from St. Bonaventure University in New York; and Duane Sorenson is from a Minnesota club program.

Smith said other faculty and staff are involved with the perspective coaches tours of ISU.

“We include a lot of people to provide an opportunity for everyone to provide feedback on the new coaches,” Smith said.

The hiring committee is made up of seven people, which include Smith; Men’s Swim Coach Trip Hedrick; Women’s Basketball Coach Bill Fennelly; Women’s Athletic Trainer Denise Harklau; Sharon Mathis, of Athletic Services and Counseling; Rich Sharps, a nationally known swim technician; and Senior Associate Athletic Director Elaine Hieber.

“We are moving really fast,” Smith said. “I have had a couple conversations with the swimmers and shared with them what we are looking for, and they shared with me some of their issues.”

Jennifer Marsters, swimmer and sophomore architecture major, said she did not have an opportunity to meet the perspective coaches before she left for Mason City for the summer.

“I think the new coach needs to be someone who listens to what you have to say,” Marsters said. “I worry that the new coach will not be a friend like Ramsey.”

Smith stressed that no matter who the coach will be, the direction of the program will change.

“We should be able to put together a schedule that allows our kids to have a good experience,” Smith said.

“We will hopefully win a lot of meets or at least individual events and subsequently have a chance to be competitive in the Big 12.”