Youngstown State has named Hannah Saiz, a highly skilled and motivated coach, to lead the Penguins' men's and women's swimming and diving programs. Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Ron Strollo announced Saiz's hiring on Friday.
A native of Plattsburgh, N.Y., Saiz spent the past three seasons as an assistant at West Point. Saiz, formerly an NCAA Division III national champion as a swimmer at Kenyon College, had previous coaching stops at Kenyon, Boston University, St. Norbert College, and Mount Vernon High School (Ohio).
"Hannah brings a wealth of experience and excellence in the sport of swimming and diving to our programs. Her accolades as an athlete speak for themselves, such as her 2013 NCAA DIII 200 butterfly title at Kenyon College, or the three Olympic trials that she competed in," Strollo said. "We are excited to welcome a leader who is willing to not only develop our student-athletes in the pool but also build connections outside of the pool and serve as a mentor to young men and women in all facets".
"We were looking for a coach who had a strong desire to be at Youngstown State and understood the importance of this program to our athletic department and campus community, and Hannah checked all the boxes. Our desire to compete for both individual and team championships in the Horizon League is a top priority, and we believe that Hannah Saiz has what it takes to continue to take our programs to new heights".
At West Point, Saiz assisted the Director of Swimming and Diving, Brandt Nigro, while also serving as the men's recruiting coordinator for the Black Knights.
Saiz expressed gratitude for the opportunity to lead the Penguins' swimming and diving programs.
"I am delighted to be back in Ohio and overjoyed to be allowed to work with a team that is so invested in each other. The future is bright!" said Saiz.
"I am grateful to Ron Strollo and Matt Rollins for their commitment to this program and their faith in me, and look forward to getting to work!"
Saiz spent the 2022-23 season at Boston University, where she was the Associate Head Coach and oversaw recruiting for the Terriers. While at Boston, Saiz guided two student-athletes to three NCAA B cuts, while also helping the team set five new program records. She helped run the program for three months after the retirement of Head Coach Bill Smyth.
Before Boston University, Saiz spent three seasons at St. Norbert College, where she was the Head Coach and Aquatics Director, leading the Green Knights to a multitude of successes. While at St. Norbert, both the men's and women's programs tied their highest team finishes at their conference meet, respectively, while achieving six individual, five relay championship titles, and one conference record.
Saiz returned to her alma mater, Kenyon College, as an interim and Volunteer Assistant Coach from 2017-19. While at Kenyon, she oversaw the sprint group, while also playing a big role in the recruitment of student-athletes.
Aside from collegiate coaching, Saiz was the Head Swim Coach at Mount Vernon (Ohio) High School from 2017-19.
Outside of the pool, Saiz was a council member of the USA Swimming Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Council and an Athlete Representative with the USA Swimming Safe Sport Committee.
As mentioned earlier, Saiz had a historic career as a swimmer herself. She was a 2013 NCAA Division III national champion in the 200-yard butterfly at Kenyon College before continuing her post-collegiate swimming career at Schroeder YMCA in Milwaukee. Saiz finished eighth in the 200-yard butterfly at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials and went on to win the 2016 U.S. Open Championship in the event. A member of the 2016-17 U.S. National Team, Saiz was ranked in the top 50 in the world in 2015 and 2016 and was ranked 67th in 2017.
