Lumberjacks assistant swimming coach Larry Liebowitz announced his retirement following the 2024鈥�25 season, capping off a coaching career that spanned the collegiate, national and international levels.
Liebowitz spent nine seasons with Northern Arizona University's swimming and diving program as the Lumberjacks became one of the top programs in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Since coming to Northern Arizona in 2016, Liebowitz has played a key role in the program's ongoing success, as it won the WAC championship in each year of his tenure.聽
"Larry has been a tremendous asset to the program during his nine years in Flagstaff. We are indebted to him for the impact he had on so many people during his tenure," said head swimming coach Andy Johns. "Our record board is filled with swimmers who Larry coached to incredible results. And as great of a coach that he was, he's an even better person who will be missed greatly. Thank you, Larry."
Among the highlights of Liebowitz's time in Flagstaff include his mentorship of swimmers such as Haley Mayhew, who shattered program records in the 200 breaststroke (2:12.95) and 200 individual medley (2:00.04) en route to WAC gold and silver medals at the 2023 championships. He also coached swimmers such as Elisa Rodriguez, a CSCAA Scholar All-American and multi-time WAC champion, and Hope Williams, who set the school record in the 100 breaststroke and earned three gold medals at the 2021 WAC championship meet.
Prior to joining Northern Arizona, Liebowitz served 13 years as head coach of Oregon State, where he guided the Beavers to three of their highest-ever NCAA Championship finishes, including a 20th-place result in 2004. Under his leadership, OSU produced seven All-Americans, in addition to 47 student-athletes receiving Pac-12 All-Academic distinction and the school's only NCAA champion, Saori Haruguchi. Haruguchi won the individual 200-yard butterfly national championship in 2008, while Birte Steven secured a runner-up finish in the 200-yard breaststroke in 2004. Both Haruguchi (Japan, 2008) and Steven (Germany, 2004) competed at the Olympics, representing their countries while still student-athletes.
Liebowitz was the head assistant coach for the women's and men's teams at Southern California for eight years before joining Oregon State. The Trojan programs at USC never placed lower than seventh in the NCAA Championships. In 1997, his second year on the staff, the USC women won the national championship.
Liebowitz's extensive international coaching experience is another noteworthy addition to his resume.
He was the head coach of the U.S. men's team at the 2003 World University Games before most recently coaching eight swimmers at the 2010 Youth Olympics. Additionally, he has experience abroad, having served as the U.S. men's team's assistant coach at the Pan Am Games in 1995 and 1999, and the World University Games in 1997. Liebowitz was also working as a member of the Costa Rican Olympic Team in 1998.
Liebowitz also previously coached Amy White and Mike O'Brien, both of whom won medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Having coached the Santa Barbara Swim Club from 1989 to 1995, Liebowitz also had his teams place in the top 10 at the Senior Nationals in five of his seven seasons. Liebowitz guided Richard Schroeder (breaststroke) and Brian Alderman (butterfly) to national titles during this period. Alderman would later make the U.S. teams at the Goodwill Games, and the short and long course World Championships, while both swimmers would go on to represent the United States at the Pan Am Games.
Born in Detroit, Liebowitz graduated from Oakland University in 1973 with a bachelor's degree in psychology. Before moving to Oakland, he spent two years swimming competitively at Wayne State. He started his coaching career at University of Detroit High School and with the Ferndale Barracudas Swim Club.
"I would like to thank the Northern Arizona athletic department, Andy Johns and all my fellow coaches for their support," Leibowitz said. "It's been a good nine seasons filled with conference championships, best times and a lot of smiles. I will miss getting to know the athletes who have kept me young. Thank you!"
Men's basketball
Northern Arizona continued its gradual rollout of the newcomers to the program, announcing the additions of Eastern Michigan transfer聽Arne Osojnik and incoming freshman聽Chris Komin.
Osojnik, originally from Ljubljana, Slovenia, spent two seasons playing for EMU, where he was named to the MAC All-Freshman team after averaging 8.8 points per game. Shooting 36.5% from 3-point range, Osojnik recorded a team-best 65 3-pointers while adding 31 steals. Osojnik was selected to play for Slovenia at the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup.
As a sophomore, Osojnik started 20 of his 31 appearances while averaging 26.5 minutes per game. Finishing the season atop the MAC, Osojnik shot 92.3% on free-throw attempts. The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 7.6 points per game while shooting 43% from the field in addition to 3.6 rebounds a night.
Osojnik graduated from Dream City Christian High School in Glendale, where he played under head coach Kyle Weaver. The team finished with a 33-5 record in Osojnik's senior season, ranking No. 7 in the MaxPreps top 25.
Komin, a 2024 Division I CIF state champion out of St. John Bosco High School in California, was ranked third-best available senior in California in late January by Tarek Fattal and the Los Angeles Times
A 6-foot-2 guard, Komin competed at the Hoophall West Invitational, where he was named game MVP in a win against Layton Christian Academy after scoring 17 points and adding three assists. In the CIF Open Division semifinals, Komin scored 19 points against No. 2 nationally ranked Roosevelt.