Kentucky Adds Karissa Kruszewski as Associate Coach
Kentucky this week announced the hiring of Karissa Kruszewski as an association head coach on Bret Lundgaard’s staff.
Kruszewski spent six seasons with UCLA’s women’s program, starting as an assistant coach in 2019 and elevated to associate head coach in Oct. 2022. She was also the team’s acting head coach from February to August 2024. Her duties in Westwood included recruiting coordination, and she was an assistant on the World University Games staff for the United States.
Kruszewski helped UCLA finish in the top four of the final four Pac-12 championships, then the women finished seventh in their inaugural Big Ten Championships this year. At the 2024 NCAA Championships, the Bruins finished 22nd, the program’s highest finish since 2017.
“I am excited to be a part of the University of Kentucky swimming and diving programs!” Kruszewski said in a university statement. “I have great respect for the work being done here under Bret and want to thank him and all those involved for this opportunity. I’m eager to contribute to both teams’ pursuit of greatness and excellence on the SEC, NCAA and international scene.”
Kruszewski hails from Murietta, Calif. She began her swimming career at UC Irvine, then swam at the University of Wisconsin, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 2013. She added a master’s degree in organizational change leadership from the University of Wisconsin, Plateville, in 2020.
Kruszewski bean coaching at Oregon High School and Stoughton High School, both in Wisconsin. She spent a season as an assistant at Division II Cal East Bay. Her first Division I job was at UNLV for three seasons from 2016-19.
“Karissa is going to be a critical influence on this exciting next chapter of Kentucky Swimming and Diving,” Lundgaard said. “Her experiences and skillsets extend throughout all facets of elite college swimming, and her fingerprint will be on our program’s continued improvement in the national and international swimming arenas.”
