Coaches

CAROLINA SWIM CAMP

P.O. BOX 1138

CARRBORO, NC 27510

(919) 966-1900

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COACHES

HEAD COACH RICH DESELM

2011 World University Games Head Men's Coach

U.S. National Team Coach

Rich DeSelm is now in his fifth year as the head swimming coach at the University of North Carolina. His Tar Heels are coming off an outstanding 2010-11 season. The men and women both took second in the conference championships with the women achieving their highest point total in four years. The women garnered their third successive NCAA Top 25 finish while the men finished 14th at NCAAs, the highest finish in 18 years. Carolina's men have finished in the Top 15 in back-to-back years, the first time that has been accomplished since the late 1960s.

UNC's women won five individual titles and two relay championships at the ACC meet and the men won five individual titles of their own. Altogether, UNC rewrote the short course record book for both teams with nine new school records on the women's side and 12 on the men's ledger. In addition, five more school records fell during the long course season in the summer of 2011.

This past September DeSelm was named as a National Team staff coach by United States Swimming, one of the most prestigious honors a coach can attain nationally. This came on the heels of his first-ever international head coaching assignment in August 2011 when he piloted the ship for the U.S. men's team at the World University Games in Shenzhen, China. Two Tar Heel student-athletes mentored by DeSelm won bronze medals at the Games -- Tyler Harris in the 400-meter individual medley and Stephanie Peacock in the 400-meter freestyle.

MIKE LITZINGER

ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH

Mike Litzinger is in his fifth season with the Carolina swimming program as head coach Rich DeSelm's top assistant. In June of 2011, he was promoted to the position of associate head coach, the first such designation in UNC's long swimming history.

Litzinger has been a key element in the success of the program over the past four seasons. The Tar Heels have had great success at both the conference and national levels in that time. Both teams have finished second in the ACC the past four years and the women's team had their highest point total at ACCs in four years when they competed at the 2011 conference championships. Carolina women's swimmers won five individual and two relay titles at last year's league meet while the men also won five individual titles.

CHRISTY GARTH

ASSISTANT COACH

Christy Garth is now in her fourth season as an assistant coach for the Carolina men's and women's swimming teams. Garth was added as the fifth full-time member of the Carolina swimming coaching staff in September 2008.

Garth, a 1996 alumnus of Carolina and a four-year letter winner on the Carolina women's swimming team, brings excitement, experience and depth to the coaching staff. Garth works with a variety of swimmers in her training group, which includes both sprint and middle distance performers.

In addition to Garth's superior on-deck coaching skills, she has been a key member of the staff due to her stellar organizational skills. Garth organizes all recruiting weekends and special events, including team banquets and other functions. She has been a key conduit with UNC's alumni base and much of the success of the new lobby/entrance way area at Koury Natatorium, including the Blue Dolphin Hall of Honor is due to Garth's efforts. She worked hand-in-hand with alumnus Greg Sanchez and Sue Walsh of the Educational Foundation to make the project a reality.

ERIC STEFANSKI

ASSISTANT COACH

CAMP DIRECTOR

Eric Stefanski is now in his fifth year as an assistant coach at the University of North Carolina. He serves as the primary sprint coach for the Carolina swimming program.

During the 2010-11 collegiate season, Stefanski trained four All-America swimmers: Steve Cebertowicz, Tommy Wyher, Brock Park and Rebecca Kane. Cebertowicz and Wyher won ACC titles last year in the 100 free and 100 back, respectively. It was Wyher's fourth straight ACC crown in the 100 back. Cebertowicz also set UNC records during the past year in the 50-yard free, 100-yard free and 100-meter free events, breaking his own existing marks in all three events.

The past year has been a banner one in Stefanski's coaching career. He served as the manager for Team USA at the 2011 World University Games in Shenzhen, China, an event where two Tar Heels brought home bronze medals. Just two weeks prior to that he was the head coach for Jamaica at the 2011 World Swimming Championships in Shanghai, China. One of his protégés, Brad Hamilton, a UNC senior, broke the Jamaican national record in the 100-meter butterfly at that event.

SEAN QUINN

ASSISTANT COACH

HEAD COACH NORTH CAROLINA AQUATIC CLUB

The Tar Heel school record holder in the 200-yard breaststroke, 100-meter breaststroke and 200-meter breaststroke, Sean Quinn, in now in third official year as an assistant coach for the Carolina swimming program following six years in which he served as one of the program's volunteer coaches. Quinn took on added duties in the summer of 2010 when he was named the head coach of North Carolina Aquatic Club, a prestigious U.S. Swimming club team based in Chapel Hill, N.C.

In 2006-07, Quinn played a key role in the Carolina women capturing the ACC championship. Prior to becoming the overall head coach, Quinn was the head age group coach for the North Carolina Aquatic Club. He was selected as a North Carolina Zone Team coach in 2009. Quinn helped coach the North Carolina team to a third-place finish in that competition in Orlando, Fla.

GRIFF HELFRICH

ASSISTANT COACH

ASST. COACH NORTH CAROLINA AQUATIC CLUB

Griff Helfrich begins his third season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Carolina swimming program while also continuing his duties as an assistant coach for the North Carolina Aquatic Club. Helfrich received a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from UNC in 2005. He was a member of the UNC men's swimming team from 2001-2004.

Helfrich began working with the North Carolina Aquatic Club as an assistant swim coach in April 2008. He coaches various levels of swimmers from age group kids to master's swimmers.