Michael Baric - Swimming & Diving Coach - University of North Carolina Athletics

Michael Baric

Title:
Assistant Swimming Coach
Email:
mbaric@unc.edu
Phone:
919-962-5294

Michael Baric, a North Carolina native and graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, was named a full-time assistant swimming coach at the University of North Carolina in October of 2017. He is currently in charge of coaching the Tar Heel sprint groups.

During Baric’s time in Chapel Hill, he has worked with Caroline Baldwin, who set school records in the women’s 50 & 100 freestyle, while also winning a gold medal at the World University Games in the 50 free. He also saw Hellen Moffitt earn All-America honors in the 50 & 100 free events. In addition, the women’s 200 freestyle relay team has broken the school record under Baric’s leadership.

Baric has had multiple athletes qualify for the Olympic Trials and place Top 16 at U.S. Nationals. During this past season, Andrew Heise was named a Top-10 Scholar Athlete at the university and Brooke Bauer was given the Top-6 ACC Service Award, both training out of Baric’s group.

Baric served as the Tar Heel swimming and diving program’s administrative assistant and operations assistant starting in September 2016. When Baric was promoted to assistant, he became the sixth full-time member of Coach DeSelm’s staff to mark the first time in UNC swimming and diving history that Carolina has been fully staffed on a full-time basis. Prior to this, Baric worked on earning his master of science degree in sport management from the University of Florida and working as a manager for the swimming and diving program. Baric moved back to the Triangle in 2016. Soon after, he took on his new role with UNC.

From 2011-16, Baric earned valuable experience coaching with club teams in both North Carolina and Florida, working with the Marlins of Raleigh and the Gator Swim Club in Gainesville, Fla. He also continued to train following his 2014 graduation from UNCW. In the process, Baric earned an invitation to swim in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials after training with Wolfpack Elite Swim Club as a post-graduate in Raleigh, N.C.

At UNCW, Baric majored in history and minored in psychology before graduating in May 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts & Sciences degree. He was also a much-decorated member of the Seahawks’ swimming and diving team from 2010-14. After earning an athletic scholarship to swim in Wilmington, Baric was named the team’s rookie of the year in 2010-11, awarded to the squad’s top performing freshman. Additionally, he captained the Seahawks’ men’s swimming team in his last two seasons while also serving as an intern in the athletic department during his senior year. During his time at UNCW, he set school records in the 100-yard backstroke, 200-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley. He won All-Colonial Athletic Association honors on 11 occasions and was a CAA scholar-athlete award recipient four straight years from 2011-14.

In 2013-14, he won the Seahawk Award for character, leadership and commitment to the swimming team at the University.

Baric, a native of Mebane, N.C., lives in Durham with his wife Carly and his dog and cat.