Arizona Hires Caitlin DeNise as Assistant Coach
The University of Arizona on Thursday announced the hiring of Caitlin DeNise as an assistant coach on the staff of Ben Loorz.
DeNise spent five seasons at Lewis & Clark College, the first two as an assistant coach, then one as the interim head coach before taking over full-time for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.
She led 31 all-conference selections at the Division III school in Oregon. In 2025, the men’s team collected the most points it has scored at the Northwest Conference Championships since 1998, while the women’s team that following year set a six-year high in conference points production.
“I look forward to joining Arizona Swimming and Diving, a program with a championship tradition and momentum building around it,” DeNise said in a university statement. “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 began coaching at the University of the Pacific in 2015-16. She was a senior assistant for two years with top club team Pleasanton Seahawks. She returned to her alma mater as an assistant coach at Cal State East Bay from 2018-21. She still holds the CSUEB record in the 100 fly, having qualified for the NCAA Division II finals in the event. She was named the school’s female athlete of the year.
“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.”
