Larry Liebowitz is beginning his eighth season with Northern Arizona Swimming and Diving in the 2023-2024 season. He joined the Northern Arizona swimming & diving staff in August 2016 following an illustrious 13-year stint as the head coach at Oregon State. Liebowitz's pedigree and success at the collegiate and national team levels makes him one of the most recognizable names in the sport.
The 2022-23 season saw Haley Mayhew flourish under Liebowitz's watch, setting NAU program records at the 2023 WAC Championship in both the 200 breaststroke (2:12.95) and the 200 IM event (2:00.04). Mayhew received WAC gold and WAC silver honors for her performance in the breaststroke and IM events respectively.
Larry has also played a vital role in the success of Lumberjack athletes Elisa Rodriquez and Hope Williams. Rodriguez was named to CSCAA 2020 Scholar All-America team and Academic All-WAC team, earned two individual gold medals at WAC Championships in the 100 free (49.24) and 50 free (22.81), swam in the last leg of the 400 medley relay for another gold (3:40.99), swam in the first leg of the 400 free relay to finish third (3:22.81), as well as the third leg in 200 medley relay, finishing third again (1:40.82) in her junior season. She also brought in one gold medal as a freshman in the 400 free relay, and three her sophomore season in the 50 free, 100 free, and 400 medley. Williams arned two individual gold medals and one relay in the 2021 WAC Championships, broke the NAU record in the 100 breaststroke, timing in at 1:01.14, earned a gold medal in the event at the 2021 WAC Championships with that time, scored second individual gold in the 200 breaststroke, with a time of 2:14.9, found relay gold in the 400 medley relay, swimming in the second leg and pushed NAU to a time of 3:42.82, and placed NAU in the top three (1:41.95) in the 200 medley relay swimming the second leg.
In Liebowitz's first year in Flagstaff, the Lumberjacks captured their fourth straight Western Athletic Conference title. NAU prevailed in a tightly contested meet with 615.5 points to best New Mexico State's 551 points. Alina Staffeldt (100 and 200 butterfly) and Urte Kazakeviciute (100 and 200 breaststroke) both posted a pair of NCAA 'B' Standard times.
During his tenure at the helm of Oregon State's women's swimming team, Liebowitz led the Beavers to three of their best all-time finishes at the NCAA Championships including their highest finish ever of No. 20 in 2004. Liebowitz coached seven of Oregon State's nine all-time swimming All-Americans in addition to 47 of his student-athletes receiving Pac-12 All-Academic distinction.
Liebowitz's Oregon State career was highlighted by Saori Haruguchi's individual 200 butterfly national championship in 2008 and Birte Steven's runner-up finish in the 200 breaststroke in 2004. Haruguchi remains Oregon State's lone NCAA Champion. Both Haruguchi (Japan, 2008) and Steven (Germany, 2004) competed at the Summer Olympics while current student-athletes.
Prior to his arrival at Oregon State, Liebowitz served as the head assistant coach for both the men's and women's programs at Southern California (USC) for eight years. While at USC, the Trojan programs never finished lower than seventh at the NCAA Championships. The USC women claimed the national championship in 1997 in his second year on the staff.
His renowned resume also includes a wealth of international coaching experience. Most recently, he coached eight swimmers at the 2010 Youth Olympics and prior to that he served as the head coach of the U.S. men's team at the 2003 World University Games. His international background also includes serving as the assistant coach for the U.S. men's team at the Pan Am Games (1995, 1999) and the 1997 World University Games along with serving on the Costa Rican Olympic Team staff in 1998. Including Haruguchi and Steven, Liebowitz also previously coached Amy White and Mike O'Brien – both of whom were medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Liebowitz also has experience at the club level, having coached the Santa Barbara Swim Club from 1989-95. His teams finished in the top 10 at Senior Nationals in five of his seven seasons. During this time, Liebowitz coached Brian Alderman (butterfly) and Richard Schroeder (breaststroke) to national championships. Both swimmers would go on to represent the U.S. at the Pan Am Games with Alderman also going on to make the U.S. teams at the Goodwill Games and the short course and long course World Championships.
His coaching career began with stints with the Ferndale Barracudas Swim Club and at University of Detroit High School.
Liebowitz, a native of Detroit, Mich., earned his bacher's degree in Psychology from Oakland University in 1973. He competed in swimming for two years at Wayne State before transferring to Oakland. He is married to Mary Anne Gerzanick-Liebowitz.
