University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt Names Austin Pillado Associate Head Swimming Coach
6/30/2026 11:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
PITTSBURGH – Austin Pillado has been named associate head swimming coach for the Panthers, Katie Kasprzak, Director of Swimming & Diving, and Ian Walsh, Head Swimming Coach, announced on Tuesday morning. Pillado comes to Pitt after two seasons at Washington State, beginning as an assistant coach before being promoted to associate head coach.
"Austin Pillado is an incredible addition to our staff," Kasprzak said. "He brings experience at the highest level of the sport from his time with an NCAA Championship-winning program to coaching athletes on the international stage. As a sprint coach, his technical expertise in the pool is exceptional, but what sets Austin apart is the genuine relationships he builds with his student-athletes. His passion and athlete-centered approach make him exactly what we were looking for in an associate head coach. We are excited to welcome him to the Pitt family."
Pillado joined the Washington State program as an assistant coach prior to the 2024-25 season and was promoted to associate head coach the following summer. In two seasons with the Cougars, he compiled a 15-0 dual meet record — including an 8-0 mark in year one that was the first undefeated dual meet season in program history — while WSU broke 29 school records, produced 14 Mountain West Conference champions and logged 60 top-10 times in program history. Working primarily with the sprint group and breaststrokers, Pillado developed two All-Americans: Emily Lundgren, who finished sixth in the 200 breaststroke at the 2025 NCAA Championships for the highest individual finish in WSU history and became the program's first four-time NCAA qualifier and All-American, and Darcy Revitt, who became the first Cougar All-American in the sprint events after finishing 16th in the 100 freestyle and the first to break 22 seconds in the 50 freestyle as a freshman. Their performances at the 2026 NCAA Championships marked the first time WSU had multiple All-Americans at a single meet. Revitt also earned a bronze medal in the 50 freestyle for Great Britain at the 2025 European U23 Championships, and Pillado coached freshman Barbora Mileisyte to a Lithuanian National Record in the 50 long course meter butterfly.
"We are thrilled to have Austin join our program as associate head coach," Walsh said. "Katie and I have prioritized finding the right individuals for our staff that will not only bring talent and expertise to the pool deck, but also passion for serving our student-athletes in the highest capacity. Austin checks every box. His experience and success at the highest level of our sport, combined with his reputation for developing the whole person, makes him an outstanding fit for our program. We look forward to sharing the deck with him and welcoming him to Pittsburgh!"
Prior to Washington State, Pillado served as an assistant coach at Arizona State in 2023-24, where the men's program claimed its first national championship in program history and the Pac-12 title for the second consecutive year. He primarily trained the breaststroke group, which saw four men break the 52-second barrier, and worked with professional group athletes including Simone Manuel, Ryan Held and Olivia Smoliga. Before Arizona State, Pillado spent two seasons at Penn State, where he worked primarily with sprint freestylers and breaststrokers as the program broke nine school records. In 2022-23, he coached Victor Baganha to an All-American finish in the 100 butterfly at the NCAA Championships, the first All-American for Penn State in that event in 20 years.
Pillado's coaching experience also includes a stint as an assistant coach for the Swedish National Team at the 2022 European Championships, an assistant role at Saginaw Valley State in 2020-21 where he coached the Male Freshman of the Year and the program broke seven school records, and three seasons as a volunteer assistant at Texas A&M from 2017-20, during which the Aggies won two SEC championships, produced 11 conference champions and earned 33 All-Americans.
"I would like to thank Katie Kasprzak, Ian Walsh, Blaire Ford, and the rest of the Pitt family for this opportunity," Pillado said. "From the initial conversations to the moment I stepped on campus, it was clear that Pitt has set out to create the best model for the program to foster an athlete-centered environment in the pool, the classroom, and the Pittsburgh community. Pitt Swimming & Diving is hungry to continue its rise through the ACC and NCAA ranks as well as on the international stage as we look toward LA 2028 and beyond. I am looking forward to building on the success of the program while recruiting student-athletes who want to be part of the strong family atmosphere here. Exciting things are happening in Pittsburgh and I cannot wait to help this program continue to thrive. Hail to Pitt!"
A Florida native, Pillado competed at Davis and Elkins College from 2013 to 2017. He was named the program's Male Athlete of the Year in 2016 and also competed in one season of track and field. He holds a bachelor's degree in sports management/athletic training from Davis and Elkins and a master's degree in sports management from Texas A&M.
