Phil Baretela

Biography

Phil Baretela enters his eighth season as head coach of RIT's swimming and diving programs in 2025–26. Since taking over in 2018, he has led the Tigers to historic success, including four consecutive Liberty League men's team titles and numerous NCAA qualifiers. Under Baretela's leadership, RIT swimmers have broken 33 of 38 school records. His teams consistently excel both athletically and academically, earning CSCAA Team Academic All-America honors for seven straight seasons. Prior to becoming head coach, Baretela spent 12 years as an assistant at RIT, working extensively with sprinters and mentoring multiple All-Americans. He also coached at Monroe Community College, contributing to six NJCAA national titles, and directed the Golden Comets Swim Club, developing swimmers who qualified for USA Swimming national and Olympic trials. A 1994 graduate of SUNY Cortland with a degree in criminology, Baretela was a standout sprinter and part of Cortland's 1993 SUNYAC championship team. He retired from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office after 21 years of service and resides in Chili, N.Y., with his wife Holly and their family.