After leading The University of Akron women's swimming and diving program for the last seven years, head coach Nittaya Klim announced her retirement from collegiate coaching on Thursday."Akron Athletics has been my home for the past seven years, and I am very grateful for the opportunity and experience," Klim said. "While I will miss this environment, I feel it is my priority to devote more time to the future of my family."
During her tenure, the program compiled 18 Academic All-Mid-American Conference selections (team has not yet been announced for 2012-13), 10 All-MAC recipients and five individual MAC champions.
"I am thankful to the student-athletes I have coached here as each one has contributed to my experience, and it has been truly rewarding to be able to work with these young women," Klim said. "I would like to thank my assistant coaches for their hard work and support as they have always been a huge part of the success of this program. I would also like to thank the University and athletics administration, both past and present, for affording me the opportunity to lead the Zips, and I wish them all continued success."
Junior Catherine Carr earned All-MAC First Team honors this season as the Zips set school records in the 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, 200 individual medley and 3-meter diving at last week's MAC Championships. The team will send two divers to next weekend's NCAA Zone meet.
"We thank Nittaya for her efforts and leadership over the last seven years," UA Director of Athletics Tom Wistrcill said. "The program has been one of our best academically and achieved several milestones during that time. On behalf of the University and our athletics department, we wish Nittaya and her family all the best."
Klim, who was just the second head coach in the program's 15-year history, came to UA after spending four years as an assistant coach with the Penn State men's and women's swimming and diving teams. She aided a Nittany Lion women's team that won back-to-back Big Ten titles in 2005 and 2006. She also helped 10 student-athletes earn All-American status.
During her time in State College, Klim served as the recruiting coordinator under head coach Bill Dorenkott, was an instructor at Penn State's Summer Swim Camp and the USA Swimming Select Distance Camp Director. Klim was instrumental in bringing in many of PSU's 37 NCAA qualifiers, 10 All-Americans, 25 honorable mention All-Americans, nine individual Big Ten Champions and eight Olympic Trials qualifiers to Happy Valley.
Prior to her time at Penn State, she spent two seasons on the staff at the University of Pennsylvania, where she coached one individual Ivy League champion in 2002.
Before coaching at Penn, Klim spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Villanova, helping the Wildcats to back-to-back Big East Conference Championships and an NCAA individual champion.
Klim was a decorated collegiate swimmer, earning All-American honors at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. She earned All-American honors three times during her collegiate career and graduated in 1992 with a bachelor of arts in English. Klim and her husband, Joe, have a five-year old son, Andrew.
A national search will begin immediately to fill the head coach vacancy.
