US Squash hired a national head coach for the first time following a $2 million gift from Apocalypse 22 LLC founder David Ganek and his wife.

The largest donation in the 110-year history of the national organization coincides with a new opportunity for the sport’s inclusion in the 2020 Summer Olympics, according to Kevin Klipstein, president and chief executive of US Squash.

Ganek said he’s been in conversation with the New York- based organization for “quite some time” about improving the country’s national effort and international standing.

“The best way to accomplish those goals was to invest in coaching,” Ganek said yesterday in a telephone interview. “It’s our belief that the U.S. has some of the best talent in the world, and we need to create an organizational effort to find the players, identify them at young ages and guide them through our program.”

Trinity College coach Paul Assaiante, who led the Bantams to a college sports-record 252 straight wins and 13 national titles from 1998-2012, was selected as coach under the Ganek Family US Squash Head National Coach Fund. Assaiante has served US Squash in a volunteer role for nearly a decade, according to an e-mailed release.

Ganek played squash from 1981-1985 at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Over the course of his collegiate career, the team moved from No. 25 to No. 3 in the national rankings, with wins over traditional power programs Princeton and Yale, according to the release. Ganek’s wife Danielle, a novelist, also played squash at Franklin & Marshall.

“I love squash, the game has been great to me,” Ganek said. “Giving back in an interesting and exciting way that speaks to our competitive spirit is a great opportunity for me.”

The International Olympic Committee earlier this week announced it was removing its cap of 28 sports for the 2020 Games in Tokyo, meaning some that have lobbied for inclusion -- including squash -- may be given new consideration.
 

“There is now a real opportunity for squash to be considered for the 2020 Olympic Games,” Klipstein said in the release. “A head national coach is critical to pursuing our goal of Olympic participation.”