Florida Olympian Lochte takes coaching job at Missouri State
Ryan Lochte joining Missouri State as assistant swim coach; 12-time Olympic medalist, contract pending board approval.
Missouri State University’s swimmers will soon be coached by a 12-time Olympic medalist. MSU Athletics announced that Ryan Lochte, the third-most decorated swimmer in Olympic history, will join Missouri State’s swimming staff as an assistant coach.
Lochte, 41, has competed in four Olympic games, with the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro being his last. He still holds a part of the world record in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay.
“His experience and proven success at the highest levels of our sport will have an immediate impact on our program and our student-athletes,” Dave Collins, MSU’s swimming and diving head coach, said in a news release. “Beyond his lengthy list of accomplishments as an athlete, Ryan has a work ethic that will translate very well on deck as a coach. When you have the opportunity to bring in one of the best ever in our sport, you do everything you can to make it happen.”
According to the release, Lochte was a 24-time swimming All-American at the University of Florida, where he earned his degree in sport management in 2007. During his collegiate career, he was the NCAA Swimmer of the Year twice, a seven-time NCAA champion, a seven-time SEC champion, and broke American records in the 200-yard individual medley and 200-yard backstroke.
After college, Lochte broke several world records in the individual medley events and earned the American Swimmer of the Year Award twice, according to the release. In total, he has won 90 medals, 54 of them gold, in major international competitions.
In an Instagram announcement of the position, Lochte said in the past few years he has become more passionate about coaching than competing.
“I traded in my goggles for a stopwatch, and I’m not gonna lie, it looks pretty good on me,” he said in the video.
During his competitive career, Lochte had been suspended in 2016 after making false claims of a robbery during the Rio Olympics, a controversy dubbed “LochteGate” and in 2018 after getting an intravenous injection of permitted substances but without permission.
More recently, the swimmer has also stayed in the public eye through reality TV appearances. Lochte was part of the first season of “The Traitors” that aired in 2023. He has also appeared in “Celebrity Family Feud,” “Celebrity Big Brother” and “Dancing with the Stars.”
Lochte will join MSU later this summer. MSU’s Board of Governors are expected to review and finalize his contract at its next meeting on June 26.
“From a personal standpoint, this is a new chapter that I’m truly excited about,” Lochte said in the release. “Swimming has given me so much, and this is my chance to give back in a meaningful way. I’m coming into this role with humility, hunger, and a genuine passion to make an impact.”
Marta Mieze covers local government at the News-Leader. Have feedback, tips or story ideas? Contact her at mmieze@news-leader.com.
(This story was updated to include information about Lochte’s contract.)
