Courtesy: Miami (OH) Athletics
OXFORD, Ohio— Miami University head coach of men’s and women’s swimming and diving Samantha Pitter announced two additions to her staff ahead of the 2024-25 season. Charlie Retter will serve as the RedHawks’ diving coach, while Kevin Menke joins the program as an assistant swimming coach.
Retter comes to Oxford after spending the past two years at The Woodlands Diving Academy in Shenandoah, Texas. He previously worked for six years at Duke Diving Club in Durham, N.C. Retter has helped divers qualify for the USA Diving Junior National Championship every year since 2017 and represented USA Diving as part of the coaching staff at the 2023 Junior Pan American Games.
Retter earned his Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from North Carolina State University in 2022 and previously competed for the Wolfpack’s swim/dive team. He also has experience diving internationally as a member of the Junior National Team under Olympic coaches Jenny and Drew Johansen.
“I am honored and grateful to be given the chance to be a part of the esteemed RedHawks swimming and diving program,” Retter said. “I want to personally thank head coach Samantha Pitter and the University for giving me this opportunity, and I’m beyond excited to get to work. Here’s to a great season for the swimmers and divers, and let’s reach our goals! Go RedHawks!”
“I am thrilled for our divers that we can add Charlie to the staff this year,” said Pitter. “Charlie has spent years developing national-level talent at the junior level. He is well-known among club coaches and he will attract the high-level divers we want at Miami. I am excited for him to break into the college coaching world and build Miami Diving!”
Menke has more than a decade of coaching experience as a head age group swim coach with the South YMCA Swim Team, a program he initially joined as an assistant in 2013. Menke also served as head swim coach for Crestwood Swim Club from 2014-2018.
He is a former Wright State swimmer and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from WSU in 2016.
“I’m incredibly excited and honored to be working with the talented student-athletes here at Miami University. A big thanks to Sam and the athletic department for bringing me on board the staff here. I’m excited to be a part of the process with her, Flynn and Charlie as we look to take this program to new heights,” said Menke.
“Miami has given me so many memories growing up as a swimmer and coach from southwest Ohio, so to be able to make more memories as a member of the Miami University coaching staff here is something I am very eager to do. Rise up RedHawks!”
“Kevin stood out to me in the interview process as someone with a combination of knowledge in the sport and great character, two things that will be extremely valuable to our student-athletes,” Pitter said. “He also has great connections to southwest Ohio and the surrounding region, which we pull a lot of interest from.
“We want to make Miami the place to be for swimming and diving, and Kevin will help tremendously in connecting us to the amazing club programs that surround Oxford.”
The RedHawks begin their season on Sept. 21 with their annual Red and White meet.
More coaches with no college experience.
Better candidates applied.
Agreed. It’s an attractive mid major job with good facilities. Insecure leaders will sometimes surround themselves with non threatening individuals .
Orrrrr they surround themselves with people who don’t run to the internet to complain and rip down their boss at every inconvenience?
Who? And by what criteria are you basing that comment on?
Name them…
You’re probably the type of commenter who complains all the time about “hiring candidates with no college experience,” yet if nobody hires them, where will they get said experience? You can’t have it both ways!
Docuak, should you only take transfer swimmers and not freshman? Freshman don’t have college experience.
How else does one get college experience?
Maybe you mean this to be specifically focused on the swimming hire, but not having coached college before will means nothing in this situation for diving…
What people that have never coached at all levels fail to realize, is that the actual coaching part is the easiest in college compared to any other level. Kids are already specialized and if you talk to their club and HS coaches you will know what works and doesn’t work for them. You’re only job is to bump their training to a higher level.
Divers do less dives per event in college than they do in Juniors or High School. You only have to train 6 dives per event vs. 9, 10, or… Read more »
Retter is a goated coach at the club, development, and international scene. It’s always so funny when swimming coaches know literally nothing about diving on this website.
great opportunity to understudy flynski