Pajer takes over swim program at UC Irvine

Brian Pajer has been named head men’s and women’s swimming and

diving coach at UC Irvine in an announcement by interim Athletics

Director Petrina Long.

Pajer has been an assistant coach at UCI since 1999 and also

started the Irvine Aquazots program three years ago. Prior to that,

he was the head age group coach of Novaquatics from 1992-99 and was

named Southern California Age Group Coach of the Year in 1994. He is

a 1990 graduate of UCI with a bachelor’s degree in physics.

“I am very excited to have been selected as the new head coach for

men’s and women’s swimming and diving at UC Irvine,” Pajer said.

“With the great facilities and strong athletic department support in

place, the future looks bright for swimming and diving at UCI. I am

looking forward to helping develop what is already a talented young

group of swimmers and divers into a team that will have an impact

nationally.”

Pajer was inducted into the UCI Athletic Hall of Fame this past

February. He was an eight-time Big West Conference champion in

swimming for the Anteaters, winning the 100-yard breaststroke and the

200-yard breaststroke in 1986, 1987, 1989 and 1990. He was named Big

West swimming “Athlete of the Year” in 1987 and 1990. Pajer set

conference records in the 100-yard breaststroke (54.26) and the

200-yard breast (1:58.32) in 1990. He earned NCAA All-American honors

in the 100 breast in 1989 and in the 100 and 200 breast events in

1990. Pajer was undefeated in the 100 and 200 breast in dual meets

for all four years of his collegiate competition.

He was a Big West Conference Scholar-Athlete during each of his

four years of competition and was UCI’s male Big West Scholar-Athlete

of the Year in 1987 and 1989.

Pajer competed in the 1988 Olympic Trials in the 100 and 200-meter

breaststrokes, and in the 1992 Trials, where he finished seventh in

the 100 breast. He captured gold medals in the 100 breast and medley

relay in the 1991 University Games in Sheffield, England.

At UCI, Pajer succeeds Charlie Schober, who was named director of

aquatics at the University earlier this summer.