Max Niggel was named the Allegheny head swimming and diving coach in September 2018.
A highly decorated student-athlete at Edinboro University, Niggel arrived in Meadville after successful assistant coaching stints at Division II Clarion and Gannon Universities.
Niggel spent the 2017-18 season as assistant coach at Clarion University, assisting with all day-to-day aspects of the program and helping to lead both the Golden Eagle men's and women's teams to a fourth-place finish at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships. Individually, the Clarion men produced three event championships and seven top-three performances at the PSAC Championships, while the Golden Eagle women produced two champions and five all-conference performances.
Niggel was also responsible for overseeing study programs and monitoring academic performance of the Clarion program, and the Golden Eagles excelled in the classroom. Both the men's and women's teams earned College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America distinctions, while a pair of Clarion swimmers were named CoSIDA/Google Cloud Academic All-District. The Clarion women also produced the highest team GPA in the PSAC at 3.59, while the men's team ranked third among conference schools at 3.20.
Prior to joining the Clarion staff, Niggel spent the 2015-16 and '16-17 seasons as assistant coach at Gannon. He played a big role in recruiting, bringing in over 20 student-athletes in each season, while he also oversaw the marketing and administration of Gannon's successful Learn to Swim program, as well as various summer swim camps, clinics, and lessons that served as the team's primary fundraiser. A Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Niggel was also responsible for developing and implementing Gannon's strength and conditioning program, as well as overseeing mental training and nutritional support.
With Niggel on the staff, Gannon swimmers posted a total of 10 NCAA 'B' cuts and won five PSAC event titles, including the first two female titles in school history.
In addition to his college coaching experience, he has served as a head coach and camp counselor at the Edinboro Summer Swim Camp since 2009, implementing age and skill appropriate skill instruction and training while also helping to maintain attendance in the program which led to consistent revenue growth.
From 2013-14, Niggel was a personal trainer and fitness supervisor at Best Fitness in Erie, Pennsylvania, where he worked with over 80 clients in both group and one-on-one settings. He would then move on to be named the health and wellness director at the YMCA in Grove City, Pennsylvania, and implemented a variety of successful fitness and conditioning programs while also supervising and scheduling a staff of over 20 professionals in the organization's wellness department.
Niggel graduated from Edinboro in 2013 with a B.S. in Health and Physical Education, with a concentration in Human Performance. As a student-athlete, he earned multiple All-PSAC honors, and was named the 2009 PSAC Men's Swimming Rookie of the Year. He set school records in the 1,000 free and 100 back, and earned a total of nine NCAA 'B' cuts. Additionally, he was the 2009 Erie Bay swim champion.
A native of Corry, Pennsylvania and graduate of Corry Area High School, Niggel is currently pursuing a Masters in Business Administration from Clarion, with expected completion in the spring of 2019.
Allegheny Career Coaching Highlights
2021-22 Men
Seventh-place at NCAC Championships
2021-22 Women
Seventh-place at NCAC Championships
Program Record in the 50 freestyle: Olivia Kraus (24.04)
Program Recrod in the 100 freestyle: Olivia Kraus (51.94)
2019-20 Men
Sixth-place at NCAC Championships
Program Record in 100 IM: Karl Stuntzner Gibson (53.60)
2019-20 Women
Third at NCAC Championships
All-NCAC: 4x400 Free Relay: (McClaren Rodriguez, Sadie Brown, Aimee Verardi and Miranda Farley)
Program Record in 400 Free Relay: McClaren Rodriguez, Sadie Brown, Aimee Verardi and Miranda Farley (3:32.11)
Undefeated regular season
Two Regional Diving Championship qualifiers: Brionna Litwin, Chelsea Pietrzycki
2018-19 Men
Seventh-place at NCAC Championships
2018-19 Women
Fifth-place at NCAC Championships
Program Record in 200 Free Relay: Sadie Brown, Aimee Verardi, Anna Verardi and McClaren Rodriguez (1:36.47)
