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After two years with the Trojans, USC assistant head coach Peter Richardson is returning to the University of Arizona to take on the same position under new head coach Ben Loorz. Richardson brought in foreign talent while he was in Los Angeles, including Minna Abraham of Hungary, who helped the USC ladies place second in the Pac-12 Championships and eighth in the NCAA Championships.
Moreover, the Trojan women had a perfect 9-0 record in dual meet competition during the previous season, a first for the program. Richardson is Loorz’s first hire after Augie Busch, who was ousted in early May after seven seasons with the Wildcats during which the swim and dive teams mainly struggled, was replaced by the veteran UNLV coach last month. Richardson was a coach for three years.
“Coach Loorz does things the right way and we have always talked about teaming up. I could not be more excited to return to this special place,” Richardson said. “Arizona is one of only six men’s and seven women’s teams who have won an NCAA Team Championship since 2000 — this is a place we can win. Arizona has world-class facilities, world-class tradition, and we’re going to make sure to recruit and develop in that same fashion!”
Richardson joins a Wildcat staff that includes assistant coaches Amanda Beard, Roric Fink, and Chad Castillo along with head diving coach Dwight Dumais and assistant diving coach Daniel Pinto.
Richardson gained valuable international coaching experience last summer as the head men’s coach for the U.S. team at the 2023 World University Games in Chengdu, China.
Prior to his first stint at Arizona, Richardson served as head coach at his alma mater, University of the Pacific, for seven seasons. During his tenure, the Tigers broke 73 school records and become of just two programs in 2018 to hit an NCAA A-cut relay time without a full allotment of scholarships. As a swimmer at University of the Pacific, he secured Big West Championships as a team captain his junior and senior years.
