Phil Baretela enters his first season as the head swimming and diving coach at RIT in 2018-19.
Over the last 12 years, Baretela served as an assistant coach under RIT Sports Hall of Famer Mike Cahill, who retired in May, 2018.
Baretela worked extensively with the sprint group at RIT, helping the sprinters set numerous school and conference records. He mentored 2011 RIT Sports Hall of Fame inductee Erik Zelbacher, who earned several All-American honors in 2006.
Prior to joining the staff at RIT, Baretela coached for five years at Monroe Community College where he was a member of the staff that saw swimmers earn six individual NJCAA National titles.
From 2010-2016 Coach Baretela was the head coach and program director for the Golden Comets Swim Club, a USA Swimming affiliated team. During this time, he was able to develop several of the top swimmers in Western New York and gained valuable experience in swimming traveling throughout the United States and overseas. He has coached athletes who have set New York State High School records and achieved time standards to compete in USA Swimming's Olympic Trials, Senior and Junior National events.
Coach Baretela was selected to participate in the USA Swimming's National Diversity Select Camp at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
Baretela is currently on the Niagara Swimming Board of Directors as the Senior Coach Representative where he recently designed a coach mentorship program to develop coaches throughout USA Swimming's Niagara LSC.
Baretela is 1994 graduate of SUNY Cortland, earning his degree in Criminology. Baretela was a standout sprinter for the Red Dragons, helping the Red Dragons to the 1993 SUNYAC championship.
Baretela retired from the Monroe County Sherriff's Office where he served as a deputy sheriff for 21 years. He lives in Chili with his wife Holly and their robust family.
