Jason Lintjer enters his sixth season at the helm of the swimming and diving program in 2025-26. He was hired as the second Saginaw Valley State University Swimming & Diving Head Coach and officially began his duties on May 1, 2020. He comes to SVSU from Alma College, where he was the head coach of the Scots' programs for the past three seasons.

In his fifth year in 2024-25, eight more records were broken for the program and 22 NCAA B cut standard times/scores were posted. The men's team made their way all the way up to 11th in the rankings. Benjamin Wainman had another massive year, being named First Team All-American in the 1650-yard freestyle, All-American honorable mention, and winning the CSCAA 5K Open Water National Championships as Wainman finished ahead of nearly 240 student-athletes across Division I, II, III and NAIA programs. Wainman was also named GLIAC Swimmer of the Week five times. Lexi Hieber returned to the National Championships with Wainman and seven others (nine in total) and she was named All-American Honorable Mention as well.

Lintjer's fourth season in 2023-24 was one for the record books for SVSU swimming and diving. 23 records were broken amongst the men's and women's teams. They also posted 27 NCAA B cut standard times/scores. The women's team made their way up the rankings to 21st and the men's team to 13th throughout the season. The program send a record-setting 11 individuals to the NCAA DII National Championships and the men's team took 21st at the meet. Benjamin Wainman had one of the biggest performances being named First Team All-American in the 1650-yard freestyle. Six others including Rory Kauffman, Isaac DeVries, Almos Szedlak, Logan Fox, Alejandro Robles Ruiz, and Eric Slabbert all earned All-American Honorable Mention. Robles Ruiz won two events in the GLIAC Championships as well with first-place finishes in the 100-yard backstroke and the 100-yard butterfly. The Cardinals won four SVSU awards at the end of the year with Logan Fox being named Male Athlete of the Year, Rory Kauffman winning Mr. Cardinal of the Year, Lexi Hieber being named Female Newcomer of the Year, and Lintjer winning Coach of the Year.

2022-23 was another big year for the swimming and diving program highlighted by Alejandro Robles Ruiz earning First Team All-American honors in the 200-yard freestyle. He became the first swimmer for SVSU to be named First Team All-American. The Cardinals sent seven individuals to the DII Championships that season, five men and two women, with Adelaide Spencer being the only diver. Flora Szklenar was named SVSU's Comeback Athlete of the Year.

During his second year in 2021-22, the Cardinals finished fourth in the women's team standings with 436 points, while the men were 5th with 391.5 points at the GLIAC Championships hosted by SVSU. Libby Caird was named Women's Diver of the Year by the GLIAC after winning the 1-meter event and finishing runner-up in the 3-meter dive. Adrien McGill was the Men's GLIAC Diver of the Year after sweeping the 1-meter and 3-meter diving titles. The Cardinals broke 14 school records under Lintjer at the GLIAC Championships. Caird, McGill, and Adelaide Spencer all qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championships. Caird earned Honorable Mention All-American honors in both the 1-meter and 3-meter dives, and McGill earned Honorable Mention All-American in the 3-meter dive. 

In his first season as head coach in 2020-21, Lintjer led the women to a fourth-place finish at the GLIAC Championship Meet, while the men finished in fifth. Libby Caird of SVSU Women's Diving qualified for the NCAA Championship Meet in the 3-meter and 1-meter diving events. For the men Justin Ott became the first-ever NCAA First Team All-American for the program, taking seventh place in the 1-meter diving event at the NCAA Championships. Ott would also win his second straight GLIAC Individual title in the 1-meter dive. Also under Lintjer's leadership, the Cardinals women's team was named a College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America's Scholar All-America team for the Fall of 2020. Lintjer was also named the GLIAC Coach of the Year, along with the rest of the coaches in the conference due to the unprecedented circumstances surrounding the 2020-21 season.

During his time at Alma, Lintjer headed a rebuilding effort that began with increasing the team's roster with the recruitment of 44 student-athletes over the past three years, doubling the overall size of the roster to where it stood this year at 30. Under his tutelage, there were eight individuals and one relay school record broken for the Scots. Included in that was freshman Nate Sutton's three records broken, leading him to earn Alma Rookie of the Year honors. Lintjer led major efforts that improved team equipment, alumni relations, and fundraising as well, serving as the department's corporate sponsorship representative as well. Aside from that, Jason served as the Co-Chair of the United Way - Alma College campaign. 

Prior to Alma, Lintjer served as the assistant coach for the Kalamazoo College swimming and diving program in 2016-17, where he was also the program's recruiting coordinator. At the same time, Lintjer served as the aquatics director at Spring Lake Country Club in Spring Lake, Mich., a position he has held since 2014.

Lintjer began his coaching career in 2012 at Spring Lake (Mich.) High School, where he was the head swimming and diving coach until 2016. Under his guidance, Spring Lake won three Coastal Conference championships, and he was named Coach of the Year three times. The Lakers also set six school records and four pool records and earned academic all-state recognition while Lintjer was at the helm. 

Collegiately, Lintjer was a four-year member of the Michigan State University swim team, competing for the Spartans from 2008-2012. He earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in his final three seasons and was a member of State's 200 medley relay team that broke the school record.

A former All-American swimmer at Grand Haven (Mich.) High School, Lintjer received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University in 2012. Lintjer recently completed his Master of Arts in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University Irvine in April 2020. He currently resides in Midland, Mich., with his American Eskimo dog, Norman.

Highlights
2020-21

• Eight school records broken
• Three NCAA "B" cuts

2021-22

• 12 school records broken
• Women's team ranked as high as 24^th throughout the season
• Men's team ranked as high as 16^th throughout the season
• Nine NCAA "B" cuts

2022-23

• 20 school records broken
• 24 NCAA "B" cuts
• Women's team ranked as high as 24^th throughout the season
• Men's team ranked as high as 15^th throughout the season
• First-team all-American (Alejandro Robles Ruiz - 200 freestyle)
• Four individuals all-American honorable mention (Almos Szedlak, Logan Fox, Alejandro Robles Ruiz, Eric Slabbert)
• GLIAC Champion women's 200 butterfly - Flora Szklenar
• Finished 18^th overall for the men's team at the NCAA Championships
• Sent seven individuals to the national championships (highest total in program history)

• 23 school records broken
• 27 NCAA "B" cuts
• Women's team ranked as high as 21st throughout the season
• Men's team ranked as high as 13th throughout the season
• First-team all-American (Ben Wainman - 1650 freestyle)
• Six individuals all-American honorable mention (Rory Kauffman, Isaac DeVries, Almos Szedlak, Logan Fox, Alejandro Robles Ruiz, Eric Slabbert)
• GLIAC Champion men's 100 back - Alejandro Robles Ruiz
• GLIAC Champion men's 100 fly - Alejandro Robles Ruiz
• Finished 21st  overall for the men's team at the NCAA Championships
• Sent eleven individuals to the national championships (highest total in program history)

• Eight school records broken
• 22 NCAA "B" cuts
• Men's team ranked as high as 11^th throughout the season
• First-team all-American (Ben Wainman - 1650 free)
• Two individuals all-American honorable mention (Ben Wainman and Lexi Hieber)
• Sent nine individuals to the national championships
• Ben Wainman awarded GLIAC swimmer of the week five times throughout the season
• Ben Wainman CSCAA 5k Open Water National Champion 

SVSU Awards Won
2020-21: Josh Hamilton - Male Newcomer of the Year
2020-21: Justin Ott - Male Athlete of the Year
2021-22: Alejandro Robles Ruiz - Male Newcomer of the Year
2022-23: Alejandro Robles Ruiz - Male Athlete of the Year
2022-23: Flora Szklenar - Comeback Athlete of the Year
2023-24: Logan Fox - Male Athlete of the Year
2023-24: Rory Kauffman - Mr. Cardinal
2023-24: Lexi Hieber - Female Newcomer of the Year
2023-24: Jason Lintjer - Coach of the Year