ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis University director of athletics Doug Woolard last week named Jim Halliburton head coach of the Billiken men's and women's swimming programs. With the department of athletics upgrading it to a full-time coaching position, Halliburton replaces Dave Estes who was at the helm for one season.

"Jim has vast experience both as a swimmer and as a coach who can raise the competitive level of a program," Woolard said. "He has proven his coaching skills at a variety of high schools and club teams in our area, and we look for him to further that reputation by pushing our program to success as it enters competition in Conference USA this season."

Halliburton has turned around swim programs at the Rockwood Swim Club, Marquette High School and the Missouri Athletic Club Summer League. His longest tenure was as the head coach of the Rockwood Swim Club where from 1985 to 1999 he took a program with 38 swimmers and turned it into a national champion squad some 500 swimmers strong. In just two seasons with the Missouri Athletic Club Summer League team, Halliburton took a team that had not won a match in 1999 to a conference championship in 2001. On an individual level, he has coached two world record holders and 15 swimmers in the Olympic Trials.

As a competitor, Halliburton was a member of the United States National Team from 1978 to 1982 and was team captain in his final season with the squad. A former American record holder, he was twice ranked No. 1 in the world in the 100 meter butterfly. At Indiana University, Halliburton was a seven-time Big Ten champion and a four-time Division I All-American.

Halliburton graduated from Indiana with a bachelor of science in physical education and psychology in 1981. He also is a 1977 graduate of Ladue High School in St. Louis.