Chris Maiello, who led the men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs at North Dakota for the past four years and helped usher the program’s transition into Division I status, has been named the men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach at UConn.
In addition to his tenure at North Dakota, Maiello also brings a strong background as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the U.S. Naval Academy (Navy) from 2008-13. Maiello also served in the Navy on active duty while at Annapolis, ultimately earning promotions up to the rank of lieutenant.
“I am very excited to welcome Chris Maiello and his family to UConn Nation,” said Director of Athletics David Benedict. “Chris is a proven winner and is an exceptional person. I heard many good things from people around the country about Chris and when I met him, I knew he was the person who should be leading our men’s and women’s swimming and diving program. Chris has an exceptional knowledge of the sport, places a high value on academics and mirrors the priorities we have here at UConn for our student-athletes.”
“I am humbled and honored to be selected to lead UConn’s storied program,” said Maiello. “UConn athletics has a rich history of success and I am excited to contribute to the department by leading the swimming and diving programs into the future. I am looking forward to continuing the traditions of the program while at the same time aiming for, and reaching new heights. I would like to thank Chief Operating Officer Beth Goetz, Director of Athletics David Benedict and the search committee for their confidence in my ability to lead the program and their belief in the shared vision for the program. I would also like to thank my wife Kimberly and our family for their never-ending support of my career goals and aspirations.”
Maiello led North Dakota to six individual and five relay Western Athletic conference championships, the first for the programs as the university transitioned to full Division I status. North Dakota student-athletes recorded numerous NCAA B cut performers and NCAA Zone Diving participants. Most recently, multiple swimmers at North Dakota have qualified for the United States Olympic Trials in 2016.
On campus, North Dakota set 37 program records under Maiello and had a combined dual meet record of 59-33. In his short stint as head coach at North Dakota, Maiello doubled the win percentage for the program from 2012-13 to 2016-17. The women’s program also set a record for wins in a season with 12 in the 2014-15 season. Additionally, half of the programs all-time top 10 performances occurred during Maiello’s tenure.
The academic performance of student-athletes at North Dakota thrived under Maiello. Both the men’s and women’s teams have been ranked in the national top 25 of team GPAs by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America.
He also had his team involved in community service and increased the number of those hours each year at North Dakota.
“Giving back to the local community is an important aspect of our program and I look forward to the team serving the university and surrounding communities,” said Maiello.
