Thanks to Amanda Smith for contributing to this story.
Chase Kreitler has been hired as the new assistant coach at LSU, both teams were informed of Saturday. He will replace the outgoing Cory Chitwood, who left for the same job at Virginia a few weeks ago.
“I would like to thank head coach Dave Geyer for offering me this opportunity. LSU has a great swimming and diving program and I’m looking forward to contributing to its continued success.”
Kreitler was at Eastern Michigan for just two years before moving on to the rebuilding LSU Tigers of the SEC. His previous collegiate coaching experience came in two years as an assistant at Cal State Bakersfield, including during the 2010-2011 season when they were the MPSF Conference Championships.
This was a whirlwind hiring, as his interview was Thursday and Friday, completing the day before his hiring was announced to the swimmers.
Bakersfield is Kreitler’s alma mater, from where he graduated in 2009. He was a co-captain of the Roadrunners as a senior and was named the Outstanding Student in his field of study as an undergraduate before completing a graduate degree in physiology. He primarily worked with sprinters in Bakersfield.
Kreitler also spent a summer as co-director and coach at the Athletes in Action Colorado Swim Project in Fort Collins, Colorado.
“Our staff is really excited about adding Chase to our program,” LSU head coach Dave Geyer said of his hire. “He is very much a student of the sport and we look forward to his contributions and energy on the pool deck and in recruiting. His background in swimming under various coaches and now his coaching background under coach Peter at EMU and coach Kelton at Club Wolverine has given him a great deal of experience that we look forward to benefiting from.”
Kreitler, as Geyer referenced, also assisted with the 18 & under group at nearby Club Wolverine.
The LSU men were 6th out of 10 teams at SEC’s last year, and the LSU women were 7th out of 12 teams. Eastern Michigan’s men were the MAC Champions, while the women wound up 4th out of 8 teams. Though LSU had significantly more swimmers at the NCAA Championships, Eastern Michigan’s women actually outplaced the Tigers with their divers. All four squads scored at last year’s meet.