TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona Swimming and Diving has added Caitlin DeNise to their award-winning coaching staff as an Assistant Coach, Head Coach Ben Loorz announced on Thursday.

DeNise comes to Tucson following five seasons at Lewis & Clark College — she began her tenure with the River Otters as an assistant coach for two years before moving into an interim head coaching role for the 2023-24 season and eventually earning the full-time head coach position for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.

"We are excited to welcome Caitlin and her husband Wes to the Wildcat family," Loorz said. "Coach DeNise is a veteran coach with a great breadth and depth of experience. From the college to club level, assistant coach to head coach, she brings a great base of knowledge and a proven track record of treating athletes well."

While at Lewis & Clark, DeNise developed 31 all-conference student-athletes and guided the River Otters to 13 program records and over 60 top 10 times in program history. As the Lewis & Clark head coach, DeNise steered the men's side to 370 points at the 2024-25 Northwest Conference Championship, their most since 1998, and the women's side to 217 points at the 2025-26 NWC Championship, their most in six years.

"I look forward to joining Arizona Swimming and Diving, a program with a championship tradition and momentum building around it," DeNise said. "I would like to thank Coach Loorz for trusting me with this opportunity. I am excited to work together with this incredible group of student-athletes and coaches to bring championships to Tucson."

DeNise's experience also includes time as an assistant coach at Cal State Easy Bay from 2018–21, a senior assistant coach with the Pleasanton Seahawks from 2016–18, and an assistant coach at University of the Pacific from 2015–16.

Prior to her coaching career, DeNise swam collegiately at Cal State East Bay where she qualified for the NCAA DII Finals in the 100 butterfly and earned the school's Female Athlete of the Year award. Her program records in the 100 butterfly (54.78) and the 100 butterfly (54.78) at Cal State East Bay still stand to this day.

DeNise is joined in Tucson by her husband, Wes.