UA Swim Coach Ben Loorz has had a busy first year at Hillenbrand Aquatic Center.
In his first season as head coach of the men’s and women’s swim teams, he helped the team transition from the Pac-12 conference to the Big-12 conference, leading the men’s team as they set multiple school records, including in the 400 free relay, 100-yard freestyle, and 200 freestyle.
The men finished second in their first year in the Big-12 conference.
The women had their highest finish at a conference championship (second) since 2008.
“Coach Loorz is the most articulate person I’ve ever met, and you could tell that he meant business from the start,” said Tate Bahti, captain of the men’s team. “But he truly cares about you in the water and out of the water so I’ll forever be grateful for that.”
Loorz has many goals for Arizona as he looks to take the program to new heights. Winning a national championship is one of those goals, but he also wants every member of his teams to improve, work hard and feel invested in the program, he said.
“Both the men’s and women’s teams bought in from the start this year and worked really hard all year long, so I’m super proud of them for that,” he said.
Athletes say his leadership has fostered a positive culture in and out of the pool.
“I really look for people that are here to make themselves better and others better. I look for kids that really want to be here, not just kids who like the idea of being here,” Loorz said.
Loorz started swimming when he was 10 and fell in love with the sport. He also fell in love with coaching.
“I always coached, even when I was like 16 or 17 years old, I thought I was really good at relating to kids. To be able to work with kids that are finding themselves is really rewarding,” he said.
Loorz coached for the Sierra Sharks, a summer recreational program when he was in high school.
A native of Northern California, Loorz graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California in 1999 – he didn’t swim for the school, but went on to swim at American River College in Sacramento after he graduated. He earned his Masters degree from Utah in 2008, where he worked as a graduate assistant.
In 2007, he started his collegiate coaching career at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas, where he was an assistant coach for three years.
Then, he began his journey as a head coach at Cal State East Bay in 2010, where he led the team for six years. In 2016, he returned to UNLV as head coach.
His eight years at UNLV prepared him to join the UA, he said.
He led the Rebels to a Western Athletic Conference championship in men’s swimming in his final year, marking their fourth straight conference championship. He was also named Western Athletic Conference Coach Of The Year for four straight years during his run with UNLV.
“I wouldn’t be the coach I am today without those years at UNLV, and I’ll always forever be grateful for the time I spent there,” he said.
Arizona’s rich history is one of the main reasons why Coach Loorz accepted the job.
Loorz joined Arizona in May 2024 as the first hire for Athletic Director Desireé Reed-Francois.
“I would never take a coaching job if I couldn’t answer, ‘Is this going to be my last stop?’ I felt at home in Tucson, and I saw all the rich history the swimming programs have had here and I wanted to build on that,” Loorz said.
Lexi Duchsherer, a senior swimmer, said she decided to stay at Arizona for her final year when Loorz got hired. She was nervous about having a new coach for her senior year, but wanted to give him a chance.
Ultimately, she said it was one of the best decisions she’s ever made.
“At the beginning I was nervous about a new coach, but my experience with Ben has been so caring, and I know he’s going to look out for me. I don’t have a single bad thing to say about Ben. He’s been amazing and if people buy in, Ben will take this program to new heights,” she said.
“Both the men’s and women’s teams bought in from the start this year and worked really hard all year long, so I’m super proud of them for that,” he said.
Outside of the pool, Loorz is a father to four boys and has been married for 20 years to Jennifer Loorz. He said his family, including his parents, have supported him throughout his career.
“I truly hit the lottery with my parents. They have supported me through everything and I could not be more thankful for them,” he said.
Now Loorz said he wants to help the Wildcats get back to winning national championships, something they haven’t done since the swimming and diving team won in 2008.
The Wildcats broke multiple records on the men’s and women’s side this year.
Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.
