Coaches' Bios

Rob Klamut

Head Coach

A veteran in his third decade as the head coach of the one of the top small-college swimming programs in the nation, Rob Klamut enters his 27th year as the head men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach at Westminster College in 2011-12. 

Klamut owns a 190-73-2 (.721) career record as the Titan men’s coach and as the first-ever women’s team head coach at Westminster he owns a 170-76 (.691) record since 1987. In 2007, Klamut registered his 300th win as a college coach as his combined men’s and women’s record is 360-149-2 (.706).

Both the Titan men’s and women’s teams won the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) championship in 2007, giving both teams their fourth league team titles in five years, including the men with three straight and the women with two consecutive crowns.

Klamut has earned either PAC Men’s or Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year honors eight times since the Titans joined the league in 2003. Overall, Klamut has been recognized by his peers as conference coach of the year 13 times since 1992 including honors from the Penn-Ohio Conference and the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). He was also awarded the American Swimming Coaches Association Award of Excellence 11 times in 1991, 1994, 1998-2002 and 2005, 2007, 2010-11.

The accolades he received as a coach are indicative of the numerous accomplishments of his swimmers. Klamut coached three national champions, 108 individuals earning All-America or All-America honorable mention honors, 91 conference champions and several scholar-athletes and all-academic team members.

Overall, Westminster has won seven men’s team conference championships (Penn-Ohio 1993-94, GLIAC 1999, PAC 2003, 2005-07) and five women’s team conference titles (Penn-Ohio 1992, PAC 2003-04, 2006-07).

A four-year swimming letterman at Clarion University, where he graduated in 1982, Klamut was a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference finalist in 11 events, as well as team co-captain his senior year. Following graduation, he earned his master’s degree in education from the University of Pittsburgh in 1985.

Klamut began his coaching career at Elizabeth-Forward High School, leading his 1985 boys team to a section title.

In addition to his coaching responsibilities at Westminster, Klamut is the chairman of the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Committee for the last of a three-and-a-half year appointment as a committee member from 2009-12. He also served in similar capacities for the CSCAA, the NAIA and the Penn-Ohio Conference.

He and his wife, Kelly, reside in New Wilmington with their daughter Stephannie.

Year	Men's Team Record (national finish)	Women's Team Record (national finish)
2011	8-4	8-5 (13th)
2010	6-3 (35th)	7-3 (21st)
2009	6-3	5-5 (t-20th)
2008	8-2	7-4
2007	8-4 (20th)	5-7
2006	9-1-1 (29th)	9-2
2005	9-1 (t-32nd)	7-3
2004	7-1	6-2
2003	8-2	7-3 (44th)
2002	9-1 (25th)	9-1 (27th)
2001	8-2 (16th)	10-0 (16th)
2000	8-1 (17th)	8-1 (22nd)
1999	6-3 (20th)	7-2
1998	5-5 (7th)	6-4 (11th)
1997	7-1 (7th)	3-5 (14th)
1996	7-1 (10th)	3-5 (13th)
1995	5-5 (10th)	6-5 (15th)
1994	6-4 (7th)	3-7 (10th)
1993	10-1 (8th)	9-2 (6th)
1992	9-1-1 (10th)	10-0 (6th)
1991	8-2 (14th)	9-1 (7th)
1990	7-4 (15th)	10-2 (12th)
1989	6-6 (19th)	9-3 (17th)
1988	7-6 (16th)	7-4 (19th)
1987	7-4 (16th)	--- (23rd)
1986	6-5 (14th)	--- (20th)
Totals (26 years):	190-73-2 (.721)	170-76 (.691)

NAIA (1986-98), NCAA Division II (1999-2002), NCAA Division III (2003-present)

 

Pat Smith

Assistant Coach

Pat Smith returned to his alma mater and enters his third year as an assistant swimming coach at Westminster for the 2011-12 season. He previously served as an assistant coach at Mount Union for two seasons.

Smith was a two-time All-American for the Titans in the 200 and 400-yard medley relays. In addition to helping Westminster win three Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) team championships, Smith won six PAC individual titles, including the 200 backstroke all four years during his career. He also won the 100 backstroke in 2004 and 2007 and swam on two PAC champion 400 medley relay teams.

A 2007 Westminster graduate with a degree in political science, Smith is a native of South Park. He and his wife Brittany, a former Westminster swimmer, reside in New Wilmington.

 

Brittany Smith

Assistant Coach

Brittany Smith, the wife of third-year assistant coach Pat Smith, enters her second year on the Westminster staff as a part-time assistant coach for the 2011-12 season.

The former Brittany Thomas, Smith is a 2007 Westminster graduate and former Titan swimmer. She is a five-time PAC champion including two titles in the 1,000 and 1,650 freestyles.

A Bethel Park native, Smith resides in New Wilmington. 

 

 

 

Ray Lion

Diving Coach

Ray Lion enters his third season as the Westminster diving coach in 2011-12. He previously coached diving at the high school level for 23 years with stops at Blackhawk, Hopewell and Beaver high schools.

Lion was a diver at Division I Purdue University where he also coached after completing his undergraduate degree. He also holds a master’s degree from National University in California.