Chris Villa

Chris Villa enters his 19th season as head coach of the IUP men's and women's swimming programs in the 2024-25 season.

Throughout Villa’s 19 years with the program, the Crimson Hawks have rewritten the school record book, setting over 100 new marks. The women have posted two top-10 finishes - eighth in 2012 and ninth in 2014 - and five top-25 finishes under Villa. The men have two top-25 finishes, coming in 24th in 2007 and 2009.

IUP excelled in 2022-23 in both the pool and the classroom. Paige Mikesell was named the College Sports Communicators (CSC) DII Academic All-America Tem Member of the Year, while Rachel Johnson earned the NCAA Elite 90 award as a two-time individual All-America honoree. The women's 200 and 400 medley relay teams were All-America honorable mention at the national championships, while Mikesell earned All-America status in four events (200 IM, 100 fly, 200 free and 200 fly). On the men's side, Thanos Diamantidis earned All-America honors in the 100 breast.

The IUP women logged a runner-up finish in the team standings of the 2022-23 PSAC Championships, with the men posting fifth overall. The Hawks combined for 39 top-eight finishes and claimed four PSAC titles and eight runner-up races.

IUP was second on the women's side and fifth in the men's standings at the 2021-22 PSAC Championships, logging a combined 48 top-eight finishes across the program. Luke Mikesell (1000 free, 500 free), Paige Mikesell (200 IM), Rachel Johnson (100 breast), Claire Mikesell (200 breast) and the women's 800 free relay all claimed first-place showings at the conference championships. Claire Mikesell went on to earn national runner-up honors in the 200 breast, one of three IUP women's simmers (Paige Mikesell, Claire Mikesell) to compete in the NCAA DII National Championships that season.

In 2020-21, he helped lead the IUP women's program to the PSAC Championship with the men's program finishing fourth. The Crimson Hawks had seven combined PSAC champions (individuals/relays) and six runner-up finishes. Paige Mikesell won 200 free at the 2020-21 NCAA DII Championships, while Claire Mikesell (100 breast, 200 breast), Rachel Johnson (100 breast, 200 breast) and Luke Mikesell (500 free) also competed in the national championship meet.

Villa has led two of the most successful swim programs in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference for the duration of his time in Indiana, especially recently. The women's team has posted top-4 finishes at the conference championship meet for eight straight seasons, coming in second in 2014, 2019 and 2020. The men's team has been just as consistent with top-4 finishes each year from 2014 to 2019, including a second place finish in 2015.

The Crimson Hawks have also been successful in dual meets, posting a combined record of 80-28 since the 2010-11 season. The women are 43-12 (.782) over that time with five undefeated seasons and 20 straight victories from 2012 to 2015. The men are 37-16 (.698) since 2010 with three undefeated seasons.

Villa has helped 14 swimmers earn a total of 45 All-American honors. His most successful pupil has been 11-time All-American Jackie Hynson (2009-12), who also won the NCAA individual title in the 200 butterfly with a Division II record time of 1:58.84 in 2012. Hynson was the 2010-11 PSAC Women's Swimmer of the Year, won six individual PSAC titles, and broke eight school, three conference, and two PSAC championship meet records. Hynson graduated with a 4.0 grade point average in speech pathology, was the 2012 IUP Scholar-Athlete of the Year, a CSCAA Scholar All-America, and a two-time PSAC Winter Top 10 recipient.

Allyson Mitidieri (2010-14) was another highly successful swimmer under Villa, earning nine All-American nods in her career, including four first team honors as a senior in 2014.

Pawel Glowiak (2005-09) has been the men's program's best swimmer this century with nine All-American nods during his four-year career, including seven with Villa as the head coach.

Villa is a three-time PSAC Coach of the Year, earning the honor twice on the women's side (2011, 2014) and once on the men's side (2015). The two latter awards came after second place finishes at the conference championship meet.

The Crimson Hawks have also excelled in the classroom, with the women's team routinely earning Scholar All-America Team honors by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America. The men's program also earned three straight PSAC Top Team GPA Awards between 2012 and 2014. Paige Mikesell was named a CoSIDA Academic All-America in 2020, in addition to earning CSCAA Scholar All-America and to the PSAC Winter Top 10 Team.