TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati men’s and women’s swimming and diving head coach, Joey Ferreri, has announced the third new addition to his coaching staff adding assistant coach, Zach Hils.
“I am excited to welcome Zach Hils to Cincinnati. Zach brings a wealth of experience from both his time as a student-athlete competing at the highest levels of collegiate swimming and his coaching experience at Transylvania University. He will bring tremendous energy to our program and has a genuine passion for helping student-athletes become the best versions of themselves. His emphasis on building meaningful relationships, fostering accountability, and creating a positive team culture aligns perfectly with the vision of our program. I am excited to watch Zach grow in this role and am confident he will have a significant impact on the continued success of Cincinnati Swimming & Diving.”
Before arriving at Cincinnati, Hils served as an Assistant Coach at Transylvania University, where he worked closely with student-athletes on technique development, training, and race preparation.
Prior to beginning his coaching career, Hils competed at the University of Georgia, where he was a nine-time CSCAA All-American, earned All-SEC honors, and qualified for three U.S. Olympic Trials (2016, 2020, 2024). He was a member of Georgia’s former SEC record-setting 800 freestyle relay and contributed to former school records in both the 400 and 800 freestyle relays.
Hils was also recognized for his academic success as a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and the J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll. Beyond the pool, he served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and participated in the Georgia Way LEAD Academy.
His experiences as a student-athlete and leader have helped shape his coaching philosophy, which emphasizes relationship-building, accountability, and creating an environment where student-athletes can thrive both in and out of the pool.