UNLV Names Ben Loorz as 5th Head Coach in Program History

The UNLV Rebels have named Ben Loorz as the 5th head coach in program history on Wednesday. He takes over the program as men’s and women’s head swimming and diving coach after Bobby Folan spent one year as the interim head coach. Folan followed 35-year veteran Jim Reitz at the helm of the Rebels.

Loorz is a familiar face to the Las Vegas era, as he was an assistant for UNLV from 2007-2010, including as a part of three conference championship teams. After leaving UNLV, he became the head coach of Cal State East Bay women’s-only program. He led that team to runner-up finishes at the Pacific Collegiate Swimming Conference championships three times and a high-water mark of 15th-place at the 2014 NCAA Division II Championships.

“I am truly humbled and honored to have the opportunity to lead the UNLV Swimming and Diving program,” said Loorz. “My wife, Jennie, and I are excited to once again be a part of the Rebel family.

“I want to thank Tina Kunzer-Murphy. Her belief in the future of the program, and her expectations of high-level success, are motivating. My previous tenure at UNLV has given me a strong vision for what the program is capable of, and we are going to immediately and systematically begin doing the work necessary. I look forward to providing leadership and mentoring as we pursue conference championships and elite-level finishes at the NCAA Championships.”

Prior to his first time at UNLV, Loorz spent two years as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Utah (2005-07), where he helped coach the women’s squad to the MW championship meet title in 2006, and a regular-season crown in 2007. Loorz was a volunteer assistant for the women’s team at California for the 2004-05 season, and also an assistant coach for American River Community College in spring of 2004.

Other coaching experience for Loorz includes having spent the past five years as head coach of the EBAT Masters, a masters swimming program he founded at the CSU East Bay, while also serving as a coach for East Bay Aquatics for the post-grad and college level swimmers.

Loorz swam collegiately at American River College in Sacramento after graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor of music from University of Southern California in 1999. He also earned a Master of Science in Communication from Utah in 2008.

The UNLV men finished 35th at last year’s NCAA Championship meet, thanks entirely to a 9th-place finish from senior Dillon Virva in the 50 free. The women’s team didn’t score any points at NCAAs, but will return their one qualifier, breaststroker Lina Rathsack, from last year’s team.

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Tom
7 years ago

Rumor has AD is on way out! Hope Ben is great! Heard Wyoming, CSUB, New Mexico Stata head coaches and a great Indiiana assistant where all in the mix. Seems like a safe choice amongst those another candidates, but who knows? The program needs help!

Tom
7 years ago

Tina is on her way out! Easy way not to make waves, Wyoming, CSUB head coaches and great Indiana assistant were in the mix. Seems like they all would of been better choices

Swim life
7 years ago

It appears UNLV made an excellent selection against some opposition. When athletes and other coaches come out in such support for an individual it speaks to the quality of the character and the ability of the coach’s skill set. Having spent many years in the swimming world one thing is certain, great swimmers come from great leaders. It appears Ben Loorz is a great leader who will continue a great program and hold his athetes to a standard in the pool, classroom and in the public eye that will make them the best they can be. To check facts, Coach Loorz did in fact have swimmers at NCAA D-1 meets during his tenure at UNLV, recruited some of their most… Read more »

poor rebels
7 years ago

typical Jim Reitz’s opinion ruining the rebels once again

ONCE A REBEL
Reply to  poor rebels
7 years ago

Yeah, sure did ruin the Rebels. All those championships and stuff you know

poor rebels
Reply to  ONCE A REBEL
7 years ago

wasn’t that Kunio and Bobby’s work? all the points came from the sprinters…

Coast to Coast
7 years ago

It’s sad how many people are quick to judge. Ben has done tremendous things as a coach. He built up the East Bay program from nothing to making it to NCAA within 2 years and has had multiple Academic All Americans. Ben was also apart of recruiting one of UNLVs best recruiting classss in the history of the program. Everyone can say what they would like, but building up a program comes from great recruiting. The UNLV team has a decision to make in being open minded about Ben and the coaching staff and accepting this new change while learning from it or to be closed minded without giving him a chance. Trust, in the end, is key. Either way… Read more »

D I Swim Coach
7 years ago

Bobby Folan is an amazing swim coach. So is Ben Loorz. I highly doubt there is a division 1 coach in the western United States who thinks this is a bad hire.. We all respect Ben and think he’s a great hire. We certainly respect Ben because he is a “good guy” but even more we respect his coaching ability… He has done amazing at East Bay and will make a consistent winner at UNLV. A division 1 swim coach would know all of the roles a head college swim coach performs, most importantly developing our student-athletes into great people and swimmers amongst many other important roles. Coach Ben Loorz is a home run hire. Everyone is entitled to their… Read more »

Ryleigh Weight
7 years ago

As someone who has been coached by Ben Loorz, I can honestly that UNLV is the luckiest program to have gained such an amazing head coach. He truly cares for each one of his swimmers and wants the best for them not only in the world of swimming but also in their everyday lives. We are definitely going to miss having him as our head coach at Cal State East Bay but we are all so happy that Coach Ben was given this opportunity because there is no one else in the world who deserves this more than him. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity swim for him even if it was only for one year.

Steve Schaffer
7 years ago

As Interim Head Coach, Bobby had a year to audition for the job and I thought he did well, but there are aspects to the job that we don’t get to evaluate and don’t show up on resumes.

I have no insight into the decision making, but I know Ben Loorz is a good hire for UNLV if Bobby was not their guy. Ben will have no problem taking kids to NCAAs and moving the program forward, just as Bobby would have. Don’t panic Rebels, you are in good hands.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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