Coaches and Directors

Coaches and Directors
Coaching Staff
Marian Clark Head Coach - Senior and National Team

Coach Marian returned to the club team at Pitt, now PEAQ recently. 

Over a nine-year period as head coach of the women's swimming and diving team, Clark led the Panthers to 56 victories and two top-three finishes at the Big East Championship. She also helped Sunday Lewandowski (1994-96) reach All-American status and capture four Big East Individual titles.

Clark, who graduated from Pitt in 1988, began her coaching career as an assistant coach at her alma mater shortly thereafter. She served as an assistant coach at both Florida State University and the University of Miami before being appointed to direct the Pitt women's program in the summer of 1993. Her appreciation for the rewards and benefits intercollegiate athletics can provide for its participants is not lost in her coaching.

Clark was a major contributor to four Big East Conference championships during her undergraduate years at Pitt. She won Big East crowns in the 500 freestyle in 1986 and in the 400 IM in 1988. Clark was a member of eight Pitt relay teams which captured the top spot in the Big East over her career. She graduated cum laude with a degree in exercise physiology.

Under the guidance of Clark, the Panthers are regularly named to the College Swim Coaches' Association All-America Academic Team. Pitt has been ranked as high as 17th in the country among other swimming and diving teams. The Panthers have also been awarded the University's Academic Award several times, which is given annually to the Pitt athletic team that possesses the highest grade-point average.

Clark resides in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh with her husband, Todd, two daughters, Maiti and Mara and son, Mac

Zach Breeding Co-Head Coach

Coach Zach moved to Pittsburgh in the summer of 2020 to attend graduate school after graduating from Mckendree University. 

Swimming under coaches Jenna Purkey and Bob Kizer in his hometown of Midland, Texas Zach was an All-State Swimmer and Junior National qualifier. 

He attended college in Lebanon, Illinois at McKendree University where under coach Jimmy Tierney he helped lead the team from a first year program to multiple top 10 finishes at Division 2 Nationals as a 3 year team captain.

Zach spent his summers coaching at both his home club team City of Midland Aquatics and volunteering at summer league teams in the St. Louis Area. 

Coach Zach currently lives In the Stanton Heights area of Pittsburgh

Hunter Fanella Developmental Coach
Hunter is a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in international relations and minoring in Spanish. She has been swimming since she was 6 years old, and is now on the Pitt Club Swim Team. Helping younger swimmers strengthen & develop their strokes is something Hunter did back home in Indiana, PA, and now here in Pittsburgh, PA!
Amila Niksic Developmental Coach
Noah Long Age Group Coach
Jerry Chen Age Group Coach
Max Shipley Age Group Coach
Michael Rine Age Group Coach
Drew Jalbert Age Group Coach
Emily Bucaro Age Group Coach

Hi! My name is Emily Bucaro and I am a junior at the University of Pittsburgh. I am on the women’s Swim team and specialize in distance freestyle. I’ve been coaching and doing private swim lessons for about 4 years now and plan to be a high school science teacher and high school swim coach following my collegiate career!

Jennifer Michaels Masters Coach (AM)
Bill White Masters Coach (PM)

Coach Bill White was born in Minnesota where he started his swimming career with the South East Metro Sharks in the St. Paul area where still to this day he holds every 8&under team record. His former swimming career also included setting national age-group records in breaststroke in Mexico and as a team record holder in breaststroke and IM events at the University of Louisville where he was a three time team MVP while pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering. After a long break from swimming, Bill took up Masters swimming in 2000 shortly after moving to the Pittsburgh area and quickly transitioned to be a Masters coach having now coached several Masters National Champions. He joined TeamPitt Masters as a coach in 2015.

Board of Directors