Coach Leisha Masi begins her ninth year at the helm of the Wolves swimming program and has made herself a tough act to follow. In her 24 years in the classroom, Masi has also coincided it in the coaching world, serving as the assistant cross country and track coach from 2000-2014 before taking over for the swim team full time. Her background and her knowledge is virtually unmatched within the swimming coach ranks of the Inland Empire.

Previously to taking over the job at King, Coach Masi had short coaching stints at San Luis Obispo High School, Canyon Springs High School and helped Riverside Poly to a CIF championship in 2002. She has also coached with the Riverside Aquatics Association and with several swim clubs in the Santa Barbara and SLO areas.

As a competitor, Masi swam with RAA starting in 1981 all the way through her senior year of high school in 1993. As a swimmer at Riverside Poly High for four seasons, she was an Ivy League Champion; a CIF Finalist; the 1993 Poly Athlete of the year and Citrus Belt Athletic Association Athlete of the Year. She went on the UC-Irvine where she was a Big West Finalist in the 100 and 200 breaststroke and selected Rookie of the Year. She then transferred to Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo and was a Big West Finalist in the 500, the 1650 and the 400 IM. She was a three-time captain for the Mustangs.

In addition to coaching, Masi enjoys spending time watching her daughter pursue her own goals in the sport. She also serves on the board for the Junior League of Riverside and Riverside Aquatics Association. Any free time she may have is spent working out and teaching fitness classes at T3 Fitness in Riverside.

Masi models her philosophies from the great basketball coach John Wooden and Dean Smith and values the team-based approach to a most individual sport. "So many people think swimming is completely solitary. And in many aspects it is. But you don't improve in isolation and you don't win meets single-handedly." She notes, "We have won every event in some meets, but if you don't have a team behind you, our team will lose. I think all kids need to learn the value of the journey. Self-sacrifice for the sake of others is noble and needed at any age. I hope the values we teach them here stick with them forever."

In addition to former King track and cross country coaches Brad Peters and John Corona serving as her mentors, she cites her father- long time UC Riverside basketball coach, as her greatest fan and model. "My dad taught us to always give our best. Even if we were feeling our worst, we were expected to show a lot of grit and discipline. He also taught me how much family and building a community of great people around you matters. My dad walks his talk and I admire him greatly. The world of coaching is hard. It is emotional and takes a lot of time from your personal life. In the end, you need great people to return to at the end of each day. I feel lucky that the kids I get to work with and our staff is just made up of really good people. It makes the sacrifice worth it!"

Coach Mitchell serves logistical and administrative roles for the team. Coach Mitchell also teaches Math 2 and Financial Algebra in room I-102 (where you are welcome to leave your swim bag during the day). When not on the pool deck or in his classroom, he loves spending time with his wife, 5-year-old daughter Storyanne, and 2-year-old son Marvel.

In high school, he captained the soccer, basketball, and golf teams. Since high school, he plays recreational soccer and basketball and runs half and full marathons. He finished his first Ironman 70.3 in December of 2018. He feels that his involvement with these sports have taught him invaluable lessons that he utilizes in every aspect of life.

He brings a passion for overcoming hurdles, learning discipline, improving one’s self, and teamwork to the pool deck. He believes that through high standards, motivation, and commitment, everyone can sharpen their skills. Through teamwork, caring for one another, and encouraging one another, we can become better athletes and people.