HONOLULU—University of Hawai'i head swimming and diving coach Steve Alnutt announced the hiring of assistant men's and women's swim coach, Riley Hilbrandt on Tuesday.
Hilbrandt brings over nine years of collegiate coaching experience, including a recent tenure as the head swim and dive coach at Illinois State in Normal, Ill. During her time with the Redbirds (April 2024 to April 2026), Hilbrandt oversaw all facets of the NCAA Division I program, directing training programs across sprint, middle distance, and distance disciplines, managing team budgets, coordinating domestic and international recruiting, and overseeing academic progress.
Prior to leading Illinois State, Hilbrandt served as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at East Carolina from July 2021 to April 2024, where she focused specifically on breaststroke and individual medley (IM) athletes. Her background in collegiate coaching also includes assistant coaching positions at Clarion University (2019–2021) and The College of Wooster (2018–2019), as well as serving as a volunteer assistant coach at her alma mater, the University of Nevada, Reno (2017–2018). Additionally, she has spent time as an assistant coach for swim camps hosted by Florida Gulf Coast University and the University of Utah.
As a collegiate swimmer at Nevada (2013–2017), Hilbrandt was an All-Mountain West First Team selection in 2016 and '17, and she helped the Wolf Pack capture the 2016 Mountain West title. She earned her Bachelor of Science in public health from Nevada in 2017 and later completed her Master of Science in kinesiology with an emphasis in coaching at Georgia Southern University.
In her new role, Hilbrandt will assist in day-to-day training, athlete development, stroke mechanics, and recruiting operations.
"It's a great privilege to announce Coach Riley Hilbrandt as our newest member of the UH Swim & Dive 'Ohana!" says Allnutt. "Coach Riley brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm to the pool deck. Her background leading a program at Illinois State and her extensive resume will bolster our program immediately. Riley brings Mountain West experience from her time at Nevada, and she's an excellent recruiter in the American and international scenes. Our student-athletes will greatly benefit from her presence as we strive to rise to the top of our new conference this year!"
"I am grateful for the opportunity to join such a respected program and work alongside an incredible coaching staff," ssys Hillbrandt. "I look forward to learning from the staff, contributing my experience and passion for the sport, and helping our student-athletes grow both in and out of the pool. I am truly excited for what the future holds and feel very fortunate to be a part of the Hawai'i program!"
COACHING EXPERIENCE
- Head Swim and Dive Coach, Illinois State University (2024–'26)
- Assistant Swim Coach, East Carolina University (2021–'24)
- Assistant Swim Coach, Clarion University (2019–'21)
- Assistant Swim Coach, University of Utah – Swim Camp (2019)
- Assistant Swim Coach, Florida Gulf Coast – Swim Camp (2019)
- Assistant Swim Coach, The College of Wooster (2018–'19)
- Volunteer Swim Coach, University of Nevada, Reno (2017–'18)
EDUCATION
- Bachelor of Science in Public Health – University of Nevada, Reno (May 2017)
- Master of Science in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Coaching – Georgia Southern University (June 2023)
SWIMMING HIGHLIGHTS
- Swam collegiately at the University of Nevada, Reno
- Earned All-Mountain West First Team honors in 2016, '17
- Helped the Wolf Pack capture the 2016 Mountain West Championship
- Awarded the Dr. Exline Academic Effort Award in 2015
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