Cory Chitwood will join the Arizona swimming and diving staff as an assistant coach after spending the last four seasons as an assistant at Virginia.
During Chitwood’s four years at Virginia, he coached Cavalier swimmers to three NCAA records, four ACC records, seven Virginia records and 26 UVA all-time top-10 times. Chitwood mentored Leah Smith to four NCAA titles, two in the 500-yard freestyle and two in the 1,650-yard freestyle, along with a set of NCAA runner-up finishes in those events. Smith also captured four-straight ACC titles in both events, as well as a 200 free title, and set then-NCAA records in the 500 free, 1,000 free and 1,650 free.
Chitwood guided the 800 free relay to ACC and UVA records, an ACC Championship and a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. In addition, Chitwood aided Brad Phillips to a conference title in the 1,650 freestyle, Kaitlyn Jones to ACC titles in the 400 IM and 200 butterfly, and Jones, Megan Moroney, and Hanne Borgersen to honorable mention All-America honors.
Following the 2015-16 season, Chitwood coached Smith to an Olympic appearance by qualifying in three events, the 400-meter freestyle, the 800-meter free and the 4x200-meter free relay. Smith won gold in Rio with the relay, earned a bronze medal in the 400-meter free and placed sixth in the 800-meter free.
Before coming to Charlottesville, Chitwood served as an assistant coach at LSU during the 2012-13 season, working primarily with the Tiger middle-distance and specialty-stroke swimmers. Prior to LSU, Chitwood served as the Northern Kentucky Clippers club team’s top assistant coach, overseeing the elite 11-12 and 13-14 year old age groups.
A 2012 graduate of Arizona, Chitwood won three consecutive NCAA Championships in the 200 backstroke and was a 14-time All-American as well as a four-year conference all-academic team member. On the international stage, Chitwood was a member of the U.S. National team and finished 10th in the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 2:00.03 in the semifinals at the 2012 Olympic Trials.
