Swimming & Diving
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- karakaki@athletics.pitt.edu
- Phone:
- 412-443-8861
Kevin Arakaki is in his fourth season as the assistant coach after joining the Panthers staff in September 2021.
In 2023-24, Arakaki helped the men’s team place seventh at the ACC Championships and saw a combined four swimmers qualify for the NCAA Championships and 11 swimmers participate in the Olympic Trials for their respective countries.
Throughout the 2022-23 season, Arakaki helped the Panthers to break 31 program records, saw 15 student-athletes qualify for the 2023 NCAA championships, five individuals earn All-American honors, and two divers qualify for the 2024 U.S. Olympic trials.
During his first season with the Panthers, Arakaki helped coach the swimming team break three school records at the ACC Championships in the women’s 200-yard medley relay, women’s 50-yard backstroke and men’s 50-yard backstroke.
Arakaki saw the men’s and women’s programs earn national recognition with being selected as the 2021 CSCAA Fall Scholar All-America Team with 10 individual student-athletes earning CSCAA Scholar All-American recognition.
Prior to Pitt, Arakaki served as a volunteer assistant coach for the Louisville Cardinals, working with all groups of swimmers with a focus on the sprinters. In addition to the 2021 ACC Men's Championship, he helped the 2019 team have the best combined finish at the NCAA Championships where the women placed fourth and the men fifth, both the highest finishes in program history. Louisville also won their first NCAA Relay Championship this past spring in the men's 200 Medley Relay. He also assisted with Louisville's pro group of swimmers that consisted of three 2021 Olympians and seven former or current International Swimming League athletes.
Arakaki also spent three years as the Cardinal Aquatics national coach, where he coached and developed Olympic Trial Qualifiers, Junior National Qualifiers and Finalists.
Graduating from Western Illinois in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Arakaki then earned his Master's Degree in Sport Psychology from California Southern University in 2019.
Arakaki was a four-year letterwinner for the Leathernecks as a backstroke and individual medley specialist. A two-time team captain, he led the team to its highest place at the Summit League Conference Championships. He has the seventh-fastest time in the 100 Back (52.55) in school history.
A native of Nanakuli, Hawaii, Arakaki started his coaching career with assisting his local club team Hawaii Swim Club.
