Pitt hires new swimming and diving coach

Early Tuesday morning, Athletic Director Scott Barnes announced that John Hargis would replace Chuck Knoles as Pitt’s new head coach of Swimming and Diving.

Knoles, who coached at Pitt for 25 seasons, announced his retirement in March to “spend time with [his] family and friends, including [his] mother in Arizona.” Senior assistant coach Marian Clark stepped in as interim head coach for Pitt during the most recent NCAA Championships.

Barnes utilized a committee of select Pitt administration led by executive associate athletic director Wendy Meyers to conduct the search, according to E.J. Borghetti, Pitt Athletics spokesperson.

 Hargis spent the last three seasons at his alma mater, Auburn, as an associate head coach. In Auburn’s most recent season, Hargis helped his team clinch 10th overall in the NCAA championships. Hargis was previously the head coach at Penn State from 2008-2013.

Hargis also won a gold medal in the 1996 Olympics and is a 12-time All-America swimmer. He was part of Auburn’s first NCAA championship team in 1997, before graduating in 1999.

“We [Hargis and Barnes] have the shared vision of academic achievement, winning championships and graduating our student-athletes,” Barnes said in a release. “I have no doubt that John will help take Pitt swimming and diving to new and exciting heights.”