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Wayne State University Athletics

Bryce Pitters 2018 headshot

Bryce Pitters

Updated July 2, 2021
  • Enters his 19th year as an assistant coach at WSU in the fall of 2021
  • Helped the WSU men's squad to eight GLIAC titles and 13 top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships
  • Aided the WSU women's program to 11 GLIAC titles and 12 top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships, including the 2012 national title
  • Mentored 166 GLIAC All-Academic honorees for the men's team (2004-21)
  • Assisted in 202 women's swimmers/divers earning GLIAC All-Academic honors (2004-21)
  • Guided 21 WSU swimmers/divers to GLIAC Commissioner's Award honors, including five two-time recipients

Former Wayne State University swimmer Bryce Pitters begins his 18th year as aquatics director at the Matthaei pool and 19th season as an assistant swim coach for the Warriors in the fall of 2021 after being named to the position in the summer of 2003.  He assumed additional duties as recruiting coordinator prior to the 2005-06 season.

As aquatics director, Pitters is responsible for coordinating many contests hosted at the Matthaei pool, both for Wayne State and events such as high school invitationals and league meets.

Pitters has helped guide some of the most successful campaigns in school history.  In 2006, Wayne State became just the second school in GLIAC history (Oakland) to win both the men's and women's conference championships in the same season.  Both teams repeated in 2007 to join Oakland University - which did it seven times between 1989-97 - as the only schools at that time in GLIAC history to win both titles in consecutive years.  The WSU women's team made it three in a row in 2008.

After placing second at both GLIACs and NCAAs in 2009, the women's squad won the GLIAC title the next seven years (2010-16) and after placing second at nationals in 2009, 2010 and 2011, the Warriors won the 2012 NCAA team title by edging three-time defending national champion Drury.  The women's team went on to finish runner-up in 2013 and again in 2014, making it six straight top-two finishes at the NCAA Championships.

In 2014, the men's squad won its ninth GLIAC title in a 12 year span.

Pitters helped the men and women sweep the GLIAC titles in 2014 for the fourth straight season as both teams set scoring records.  Both Wayne State teams placed in the top three at the 2014 NCAA Championships for the first time since 2011.  The men's squad earned its best finish since that year and accumulated its highest point total (358.5 points) since the 2009 season.  The Warrior women finished second to Drury University for the second straight year and finished inside the top two for the sixth straight season.  The Warrior men finished as one the top three teams four times in a five-year span (2007-11).

In 2015, the women won the GLIAC championships for the sixth consecutive season and the men finished second.  The men scored 285 points at the NCAA Championships to secure their fourth-place finish and finish inside the top eight for the 11th consecutive season.  The women collected 211 points, which was good enough to place fifth out of 40 teams.  The women finished in the top six each the previous eight seasons.  Prior to 2014-15, WSU finished either first or second for six straight years (2009-14).

Since Pitters joined the WSU coaching staff, he has helped mentor 250 individual All-Americans, 179 Honorable Mention All-Americans, 89 All-America relays and 44 Honorable Mention All-America relays.

Pitters began his coaching career in 1998 when he took over the St. Clair Shores Sea Serpents recreational swim team of the Lakefront Swimming Association.  He coached the Sea Serpents from 1998-2000 and again for the 2002 season.

In 2001, Pitters was named an assistant coach with the Lakers Aquatic Club, the USA Swimming club from the St. Clair Shores and Harrison Twp. area.  Pitters was promoted to head coach in 2002, a position he held until April of 2004.  In 2007 he was once again named head coach of the Lakers Aquatic Club.  His first season back with the club was successful as his 12 & Under team finished 14th at the 2008 Michigan State Championships, which was highlighted with a state championship win by one of his swimmers in the Boys 12 & Under 100 breaststroke.

The 2008-09 season was even better as Pitters coached a 10 & Under girl to a Michigan State Championship swim in the 500 freestyle which was also a new state record by over 5 seconds.  That same 10 & Under girl went onto to later win the 200 freestyle title while his 12 & Under boy also went onto recorder another state title in the 50 freestyle.  The 12 & Under squad ended up finishing in 15th place at the 2009 Michigan State Championships.

In May of 2004, Pitters was named the head coach of Red Run Golf Club in Royal Oak, where he worked until 2007.  During his tenure he guided the team to an 18-4 overall dual meet record, including a 6-0 mark in 2006 while capturing the MISCA White Division Championship, Red Run's first title since 1998. Red Run also won an impressive 12 straight meets under Pitters.

Pitters was a four-year letterwinner at WSU and served as team captain during the 1999-2000 campaign.  At the 2000 GLIAC Championship, he was part of the 200 free relay quartet that set a then-school record (1:27.59).

A 1999 graduate of WSU with a degree in communications (radio and TV), Pitters earned his master's degree in sports administration from WSU in 2001.  The St. Clair Shores Lakeview graduate (1996) also was named to the athletic director's honor roll while at WSU.

Pitters resides in St. Clair Shores.
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