Florida State Adds Ben Zajic, Steve Barnes to Coaching Staff

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Photo Courtesy: Florida State Athletics

Florida State Adds Ben Zajic, Steve Barnes to Coaching Staff

Florida State rounded out its coaching staff on Tuesday by hiring Ben Zajic and Steve Barnes as assistant coaches.

Zajic spent the last two seasons at Florida Atlanta, helping the men’s team finish second last year at the CCSA Championships. They finished second in the conference in 2021.

Zajic coached at the University of Nevada in 2019-20. He started as a volunteer coach at George Mason in 2017-18, while working as an assistant Nation’s Aquatic Swim Club. He went on to serve as the lead national and administrative coach for the Kansas City Blazers.

Zajic swam at Lafayette College, where he received his bachelor’s degree. He earned a master’s in kinesiology at East Carolina in 2017.

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

Barnes spent nine seasons on the staff at Penn State, six as an assistant and three as the associate head coach. He helped mentor three swimmers who competed in the Tokyo Olympics at State College.

Barnes swam at Ithaca College, where he was a four-time Athlete of the Year from 2002-05 and still holds school records in distance freestyle. He served as a graduate assistant in 2006 while obtaining his master’s degree in exercise science there.

From Ithaca, he went on to three seasons as an assistant coach at Kalamazoo College, including an interim head coaching stint while Kathy Milliken was on maternity leave. He got his first head coaching job at Division III Wabash College, where he compiled three top-four finishes in the North Coast Athletic Conference in four seasons with the men’s team.

Barnes left Penn State in 2021 and had returned to Ithaca for an administrative position in the athletics department.

“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.”

“I’m really excited to welcome these two coaches to Tallahassee,” Florida State 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.”

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