James Bretscher

James Bretscher joined Purdue men's swimming & diving as an assistant coach in June 2023, becoming the first hire of Alex Jerden's tenure as the leader of the Boilermakers. The 2023-24 season represents his second year at Purdue. Bretscher’s surname is already a familiar one at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center. The All-American joined Purdue after two seasons as an assistant coach at Marshall University and two seasons on deck at his alma mater, NC State. Bretscher coached the Thundering Herd at the 2022 Purdue Invitational. Bretscher’s sister Emily was an All-American diver and Big Ten champion for the Boilermakers from 2017 to 2022. She was the Big Ten Diver of the Year and Diver of the Championships in 2020, representing Purdue at the NCAA Championships three times. The Bretscher Family has longstanding ties to Northwest Indiana and the city of Valparaiso, connections that extend throughout the state and Big Ten. A two-time NCAA Championships qualifier and 2019 All-American in the 100 butterfly at NC State, Bretscher remained with the Wolfpack and served in a supporting role – one year as a student assistant and another as an assistant coach for Wolfpack Elite – before being hired at Marshall in May 2021. Between his time as a student-athlete and a coach, NC State won seven ACC Championships and 13 NCAA titles. “The entire staff connected with James almost immediately through his interview process,” Jerden said. “Even more importantly, he connected with the team in such a short amount of time. For us, James is a home run hire – someone who embodies the Boilermaker spirit, who values the person behind the athlete, and who knows the sport really well and loves to learn. He will be a tremendous addition to the team. We can't wait to have him on campus!” In his two years as an assistant in Huntington, the Herd accounted for 56 times that ranked among the top 10 in program history. “I am excited to hop on the train and join the Boilermakers,” Bretscher said. “It is a full-circle moment to have the opportunity to coach at my sister's alma mater. Alex Jerden has an incredible vision for this program and is passionate about building something special with these young men. I am thankful to be a part of it and look forward to seeing where this journey takes us. Boiler Up!!!” Bretscher also served as the head coach for Thundering Herd Aquatics, lead age group coach with the Raleigh Swimming Association and was on staff with the college ministry, Athletes in Action. Bretscher finished his career ranked among the top five in NC State history in both butterfly events, qualifying for the A finals at the ACC Championships in each of his upperclassman seasons. He qualified for NCAAs in the 200 fly as a junior and both races the following year. He was a three-time All-ACC Academic Team honoree. As a senior team captain, he received the “Heart of the Pack” and “Diamond Award,” recognizing his commitment to teammates, effort, attitude, mindfulness as well as leadership, team commitment and work ethic. Bretscher earned his bachelor’s degree from NC State in business administration with a concentration in marketing and minor in graphic communications. Along with sister Emily’s recent accomplishments at Purdue, Bretscher’s other notable extended family connections includes… • His father Nathan grew up as part of a family of 10 in Valparaiso. • His mother Debbie was a diver and his dad a swimmer at Ohio State, later both becoming assistant coaches at OSU. Debbie went on to become the diving coach at UConn. • His uncle Seth Bretscher was a Big Ten champion in the 200 breaststroke at Indiana University, later becoming a professor of aerospace studies at Purdue. He continues to reside in Lafayette. • His uncle Jim McMillan competed for the Purdue track & field team in the 1970s and later became a coach for the women’s team. • His aunt and uncle Mary and Paul Bretscher were important members of the swimming community in Greencastle. Mary was the head coach of the women’s team at DePauw for 38 years while Paul served as the head swim coach at Greencastle High School. Their son Andrew swam at Ohio State and went on to become the head coach at VMI.