TicketsPieter Ritz, a former collegiate swimmer at Cleveland State, is in his fourth season as an assistant swimming coach at the University of Cincinnati. He also serves as the head recruiting coordinator for the Bearcats.
In his second season at UC, Ritz helped the Bearcats achieve the first AAC Championship in school history, as then men took home the title while the women finished runner-up. Five UC swimmers took home individual championships while the men won their first championship relay event. In the classroom, both the men and women posted their highest GPA's ever in the spring and both had more CSCAA academic honorees than any other program in the conference. The women's GPA for the academic year ranked 15th in the nation.
Ritz’s first season in Clifton ended in record fashion as his assistance in the development of the program resulted in 34 program Top-10 times, 14 NCAA B cuts, 11 school records, five individual AAC titles, one NCAA zone qualifier and one NCAA A cut. There also were a record 18 new school record holders, with 15 of those record holders returning for the 2016-2017 season.
Ritz also led the Bearcats to academic success, ending the year with a cumulative 3.401 team GPA. In total, 46 athletes were nominated to UC’s honor roll, 31 of which also were on the Dean’s List. Additionally, 36 individuals earned a spot on The American All-Academic Team and four earned NCAA Academic All-America titles.
Ritz arrived at UC following one season as the volunteer assistant coach at Florida Gulf Coast University. During his time at FGCU, the Lady Eagles were crowned conference champions in 2015 and qualified seven women to the NCAA Championship Meet. The 200 medley relay also received All-America status with their top-A finish.
In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Ritz served as the FGCU Meet Coordinator, working with Hy-Tek and Meet Manager to coordinate home meets and meet entries. Additionally, he served as an assistant age group coach and assistant senior coach for the Gulf Coast Swim Team in Fort Myers, Florida.
Prior to his time in Florida, Ritz was a graduate assistant coach at Henderson State University where he oversaw recruiting and managed the scholarship budget. During his two seasons at Henderson State, the program sent a total of six student-athletes to the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships.
The Fort Myers, Florida, native graduated from Cleveland State in 2012 with a degree in communication and film. Ritz was a four-year letter winner for the Vikings, where he earned the Men's Swimming Leadership Award his senior season. He also served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council for three years, and was a part of the Academic Athletic Achievement program from 2009-2012.
He earned his Master's in Sport Administration at Henderson State University in 2014, placing on the Dean's List all four semesters. Ritz also was the recipient of the 2014 College Swimming Coaches Association of America Jean Freeman Scholarship.
UC Coaching Highlights
- 2018 AAC Men's Champion
- 2018 AAC Women's runner-up
- Site Director of USA Central Zone Select Camp
- Technical Advisor for the Cayman Islands Swim Federation
- 211 UC Top-10 Times
- 56 UC School Records
- 25 Academic All-Americans
- 24 American Athletic Conference Champions
- 1 All-American and 1 Honorable Mention All-American
- 1 National Record (International)