Youngstown State Hires Hannah Saiz as Head Coach
Youngstown State on Friday announced Hannah Saiz as its new men’s and women’s swimming and diving head coach.
Saiz arrives from Army, where she was an assistant coach for three seasons at West Point. She swam collegiately at Kenyon College, where she was a Division III national champion.
“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!” Saiz said in a university press release. “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 replaces Brad Smith, who stepped down in March after seven seasons at the helm.
Saiz was an assistant to Brandt Nigro at Army, serving as the men’s recruiting coordinator for the Black Knights. Among the recruits is school-record holder and NCAA qualifier Johnny Crush, while Kohen Rankin made back-to-back NCAA appearances under Saiz’s tenure.
Before West Point, Saiz was an associate head coach at Boston University in 2022-23. She spent three seasons as the head coach and aquatics director of St. Norbert College in Wisconsin. She’s familiar with the world of Division III, serving as a volunteer assistant coach at her alma mater Kenyon from 2017-19 while also coaching Mount Vernon High in Ohio.
Saiz has served as a council member of the USA Swimming Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council and as an Athlete Representative with the USA Swimming Safe Sport Committee.
As a swimmer, Saiz won the 200 fly at NCAAs in 2013 as a senior, helping Kenyon finish second in the team standings. She went on to swim at U.S. Olympic Trials in 2016 for Schroeder YMCA, making the final of the women’s 200 fly.
“Hannah brings a wealth of experience and excellence in the sport of swimming and diving to our programs,” Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Ron Strollo said. “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. 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”.
