Pieter Ritz

Pieter Ritz, a former collegiate swimmer at Cleveland State, is in his first season as assistant swimming coach at the University of Cincinnati.

Ritz comes to Clifton following one season as volunteer assistant coach at Florida Gulf Coast. At FGCU, he was involved in coaching while also serving as the 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. He prepared work-outs and assisted the head coach, first with seniors and later with ages 7-13.

Prior to his time in Florida, Ritz was a graduate assistant coach at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. He oversaw recruiting and managed the scholarship budget over two years. He also worked as a lifeguard and aquatics instructor during his collegiate career at Cleveland State. 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.

Ritz swam for the Vikings from 2008-12. He served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council for three years, while he also was part of the Academic Athletic Achievement program from 2009-12. As a senior, he was named the Men's Swimming Leadership Award winner.

The Fort Myers, Florida, native graduated from Cleveland State in 2012 with a degree in communication and film. He completed a master's in sport administration at Henderson Statue University in 2014, placing on the Dean's List all four semesters and receiving the 2014 College Swimming Coaches Association of America Jean Freeman Scholarship.