UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; April 20, 2006- Penn State assistant swimming and diving coach Nittaya Klim was named head women's swimming and diving coach at the University of Akron, director of athletics Mack Rhoades announced on Thursday. Klim becomes just the second head coach of the program since its inception in 1998 and leaves Penn State after a four-year stint with men's and women's swimming and diving teams. Klim's Penn State career included back-to-back Big Ten women's titles over the last two seasons and saw 10 student-athletes earn All-America status.
"We were very fortunate to enjoy the past four years with Nittaya on our staff. Her commitment to our student-athletes was second to none and will be dearly missed," said Penn State head coach Bill Dorenkott. "Nittaya has a natural ability to bring out the best in others whether that is working with student athletes or our staff. Her appointment at Akron is a complement to our program and the job that she has done at Penn State."
As an assistant coach at Penn State, Klim was the recruiting coordinator for the Nittany Lions under Dorenkott, was an instructor at Penn State's Summer Swim Camp and served as the USA Swimming Select Distance Camp Director. As the recruiting coordinator at PSU, she helped bring in many of the program's 37 NCAA qualifiers, 10 All-Americans, 25 honorable mention All-Americans, nine individual Big Ten champions and eight Olympic Trial qualifiers.
"I am very happy to be joining the Akron family and I am looking forward to building upon the foundation that has been established over the past eight years," Klim said. "Helping student-athletes achieve their individual and team goals is important to me and I am excited to have the opportunity to do just that at Akron."
Before coaching at Penn State, Klim spent two seasons as an assistant at the University of Pennsylvania where she helped the Quakers to the 2002 Ivy League Women's Championship. Prior to working at Penn, she spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Villanova, helping the Wildcats to back-to-back Big East Conference Championship runner-up finishes in 1998 and 1999, and one NCAA Champion in 1999 (Maddy Crippen, 400 individual medley).
Before starting her career as a coach, Klim was an All-America swimmer for Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., graduating in 1992 with a bachelor of arts in English. She earned All-America status in the 200 freestyle relay in 1990 and in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays in 1989.
Klim, a native of Riverdale, Ga., takes over for Brian Vereb, the first women's swimming and diving coach in the program's eight-year history. Last season, the Zips had a dual-meet record of 5-7-1 and were 1-5-1 in the Mid-American Conference. Akron finished the season with a seventh-place finish at the MAC Championship (February 23-25) meet, but set a number of records during the meet.
The Nittaya Klim File
Coaching Career
Year, School (Position)
2002-06, Penn State University (Assistant Coach)
2000-02, University of Pennsylvania (Assistant Coach)
1997-2000, Villanova University (Assistant Coach)
Swimming Career
1989-92, Emory University
* All-America swimmer, 200 freestyle (1990)
* All-America swimmer, 200 and 400 freestyle (1989)
TRANSACTION: Akron names Nittaya Klim head women's swimming and diving coach.