University of Maryland Athletics

John Pontz was elevated to associate head coach in the fall of 2011. He was named assistant coach for the University of Maryland men's and women's swimming and diving program in June of 2008.


Pontz came to College Park via Northwestern University, where he served as an assistant coach for the Wildcats since 2004. During that time, Northwestern put together the most successful run in school history, boasting three top-ten NCAA team finishes, two individual NCAA champions and a pair of NCAA records.


Prior to Northwestern, Pontz was an assistant coach at Arizona State University from 2001-2003, where he trained the ASU mid-distance and distance swimmers. Pontz is credited with coaching four NCAA Top 16 finalists and qualified three women to the NCAA Championships in distance events for the first time at the school in eight years.


Pontz has also coached club teams at the University of Arizona and ASU and placed an athlete on the 2000 USA Olympic Team while serving as head coach of the Tempe Rio Salado Swim Club in Tempe, Ariz.


Nationally, Pontz has been a head coach, director and manager at several USA Swimming Camps and also was an assistant coach at the Goodwill Games in 2001.


Pontz is a graduate of Penn State with degrees in finance and exercise and sport science.