TicketsCINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati Director of Athletics John Cunningham announced on Wednesday the hiring of Joey Ferreri as the head coach of men’s and women’s swimming and diving.
Ferreri (pronounced fuh-RAIR-ee) has spent more than a decade building his career within the Bearcats program, totaling 13 years as both a student-athlete and coach.
A former Cincinnati swimmer from 2013-15, Ferreri steadily rose through the program’s coaching ranks. He completed his 11th season on staff after serving as recruiting director from 2019-21 before being promoted to associate head coach in the summer of 2021.
“I’m excited to announce Joey Ferreri as our new head coach for men’s and women’s swimming and diving,” Cunningham said. “Over more than a decade as an assistant coach after competing as a student-athlete and earning his degree from UC, Joey has proven to embody the Bearcats’ spirit every step of his career. We had a rigorous national search, and Joey proved there was no one more equipped to take the reins of this program and lead it forward. Congratulations to Joey, his wife, Sara, and his son, Vinny.”
During his tenure, he played a key role in guiding Cincinnati to multiple successful seasons, highlighted by coaching 15 NCAA qualifiers, two Big 12 champions, 54 American Athletic Conference (AAC) champions and 16 AAC record holders, along with two U.S. Olympic Trials semifinalists.
After an extensive national search that attracted significant interest from a deep and competitive pool of candidates, Ferreri emerged as the top choice to lead the program.
“I’m honored to be named head coach of Cincinnati’s swimming and diving programs,” said Ferreri. “I’m incredibly grateful to Director of Athletics John Cunningham and Deputy AD Maggie McKinley for their trust and belief in me. I’ve spent more than a decade preparing for this opportunity, and I’m ready to build a program that is prepared, passionate and driven to compete at the highest level. I’m excited to lead our student-athletes as we chase success in the classroom, in the pool and on the national stage.”
Ferreri has demonstrated a strong recruiting strategy, bringing in and developing high-impact athletes such as Joleigh Crye (three-time All-American, two-time conference champion, four-time NCAA qualifier, and school record holder), Michael Balcerak (eight-time conference champion, two-time AAC Swimmer of the Year, AAC Freshman of the Year, and record holder), Jessica Davis (NCAA qualifier and record holder), Owen Chiles (highest Bearcat scorer at the 2026 Big 12 Championships), and Taira Vroom, the highest-ranked female signee in program history.
This past season, Crye collected Big 12 Swimmer of the Year honors, while Mia Hensley was named the Big 12 Student-Athlete of the Year.
Ferreri has played a key role in elevating Cincinnati swimming and diving into a consistent championship contender, highlighted by a historic 2025 season in which the Bearcats captured their first Big 12 individual titles, set a program-record NCAA “A” cut in the 200-medley relay, and saw standout performer Crye earn All-America honors and UC Student-Athlete of the Year. In UC’s transition to the Big 12, both teams posted fourth-place finishes and produced NCAA qualifiers for the first time since 2017, while continuing a multi-year run of success that includes seven conference champions and 12 school records in 2023, a CSCAA Open Water National Championship, and multiple Olympic Trials qualifiers. Across his tenure, Ferreri has helped guide the program to conference championships, runner-up finishes, and sustained excellence, with Bearcats swimmers earning major conference awards, breaking numerous school and conference records, and consistently performing at the national and international level.
Additionally, Ferreri has an extensive open water background as both an athlete and a coach. He served at the USA Open Water National Select Camp in 2016 and as an assistant coach in 2018. At the 2018 Open Water Nationals, he had three athletes compete, with the top finisher placing as the seventh American.
As a student-athlete, Ferreri earned multiple top-eight finishes at the AAC Championships during his time at Cincinnati, highlighted by a fourth-place finish in the 1650 freestyle (2014). A five-time Dean’s List honoree, he was named Newcomer of the Year in 2014, recognized by the Bearcats Strong program, and served as team captain his senior season. He earned his bachelor’s in marketing in 2015 and master’s in business administration in 2018.
He resides in Northern Kentucky with his wife, Sara and son, Vinny.