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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida State swimming and diving teams announced the addition of two new assistant coaches, Ben Zajic and Steve Barnes, to the staff for the 2022-23 season.

“I’m really excited to welcome these two coaches to Tallahassee,” FSU head coach Neal Studd said. “They’re a great fit for our program. Steve has incredible experience and brings a wealth of knowledge and Ben was doing great things at FAU. We’re very excited to get this season started.”

Zajic comes to Tallahassee from FAU where he has coached since 2020. In his second year with the Owls, the men’s team earned silver at the CCSA Swimming & Diving Championships where two of his swimmers were named Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet and Most Outstanding Freshman of the Meet. The men’s program broke nine program records and 12 freshman records that season.

In the shortened 2020-21 season, FAU’s men’s team finished second at the CCSA Swimming & Diving Championships with a program-record 22 medals at a conference championship under the direction of Zajic.

Previously, Zajic was an assistant coach at the University of Nevada – Reno for the 2019-20 season in which the Wolfpack finished second at the Mountain West Conference Championships.

Before rejoining collegiate athletics, Zajic was the lead national and administrative coach for the Kansas City Blazers. Zajic previously coached at the National’s Capital Swim Club under American Swim Coach Association Hall of Fame member and six-time USA National Team Coach, Pete Morgan, in which he instructed National Junior Team members and Summer National Qualifiers. During his time with NCAP, the team was ranked first in the USA Swimming Club Excellence program, earning Gold Medal Status.

Zajic also worked as a volunteer coach at George Mason University during his time with NCAP. The men’s team was the runner-up at the 2018 Atlantic-10 Championships, featuring three individual champions and seven NCAA provisional standards.

Zajic was a four-year member of the Lafayette College swimming & diving team as he obtained a Bachelor of Science in biology and psychology. In 2017, he earned a Master of Science in kinesiology from East Carolina University. Zajic is a Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist by the American College of Sports Medicine.

“I’m incredibly grateful and excited to be joining FSU and the staff Coach Studd has put together, “Zajic said.  “ I can’t wait to get the season started. Go Noles!”

Barnes most recently joined the athletics administration at Ithaca College, his alma mater, after nine seasons as a coach at Penn State. He spent three years as the associate head coach following six years as an assistant coach.

Both the men’s and women’s programs at Penn State placed in the top 30 at the NCAA Championships in five out of seven appearances. 2016 Irish Olympian Shane Ryan earned two medals at NCAAs during Barnes’ tenure. Along with Ryan, two more Nittany Lions competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics; both Melissa Rodriguez and Gabe Castano competed for Mexico.

In 2020-21, Penn State scored points at the NCAA Championships for the ninth-straight year, eight of which were under Barnes’ direction. The 2018-19 season featured the first individual NCAA National Champion for the PSU women’s squad.

Prior to his time at Penn State, Barnes spent four seasons as the head coach of the Wabash College swimming and diving program. Wabash earned three top-four finishes in four years at the North Coast Athletic Conference Men’s Championships under the direction of Barnes. Two of his swimmers claimed All-American honors at the 2011 NCAA Division III Championships.

Barnes previously spent three seasons as Kalamazoo College as an assistant coach. During this time, the program set an NCAA record, 39 school records, 36 individual and relay conference titles, 17 conference records, 59 NCAA B-cuts and 16 NCAA A-cuts, and nine individual top-eight finishes at NCAA Nationals. Barnes was named interim head coach for January through March 2008 as head coach Kathy Milliken was on maternity leave.

While a student at Ithaca College, Barnes was a four-time All-American and team MVP. He was named a 2005 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American honoree and was selected as Athlete of the Year at Ithaca College all four years, 2002-05. Barnes also earned CSCAA Scholar All-American honors for four consecutive years. He currently holds records in the 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyle for Ithaca and was a member of the record-setting 800-yard freestyle relay team. Barnes obtained a Master of Science in exercise science from Ithaca in 2006 while serving as an assistant coach for the program.

“I am both grateful and excited to join the Seminoles,” Barnes said.  “I would like to thank FSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford, Deputy Athletics Director for Administration Cindy Hartmann, and Coach Studd for the opportunity to join the Florida State family.  FSU has a strong history in the pool, and I look to continue to build on the program's success at the NCAA and ACC level while also making a positive impact on the student-athlete experience.”

For more information, visit Facebook (FSUSwimmingDiving), Twitter (@FSU_Swimming) and Instagram (@fsuswimdive).

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