Queens University of Charlotte

Elliot Ptasnik joined the Queens University of Charlotte swimming program ahead of the 2023–24 season as a coach and was later promoted to Associate Head Swimming Coach. He brings over 15 years of experience spanning age-group, collegiate, and professional swimming environments. His addition to the program was part of a drive to elevate the Royals during their transition to Division I competition. Before Queens, Ptasnik served as a volunteer assistant coach at Stanford, working primarily with the women’s team under Olympic-level leadership. From 2021 to 2023, he founded and led Aloha Aquatica, a professional swim training group in Hawaii, coaching world-class athletes such as Ben Proud, Andrii Govorov, Anthony Ervin, and others, and even assisting Team Ukraine at major international meets. His collegiate coaching résumé includes a tenure at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (2016–2021), during which he helped the women’s and men’s squads capture multiple MPSF conference titles. He earned MPSF Women’s Coach of the Year honors in 2020 and 2021, and MPSF Men’s Coach of the Year in 2020. Ptasnik is a former University of Iowa swimmer, graduating with a degree in finance (2005). He also holds an MBA from the University of Hawaii.Off the pool deck, he is joined in Charlotte by his wife, Shana (an electrophysiologist), and their dog Archie.