Decorated Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte joins Missouri State coaching staff
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- Ryan Lochte will join Missouri State as an assistant for the men’s and women’s teams.
- Since 1998, Missouri State’s women have 18 conference titles, men have 21.
- Lochte’s career includes Olympic medals, controversies and a 14-month suspension in 2018.
Missouri State’s swimming program received a jolt to its coaching staff with the hiring of decorated Olympian Ryan Lochte, the school announced Sunday.
The six-time Olympic champion will join the Bears later this summer as an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s teams.
Missouri State’s swimming and diving programs have a winning tradition over their 28-year history. Since establishing the program and joining the Missouri Valley Conference in 1998, the women’s team has 18 conference titles while the men have 21. The program has also produced 14 NCAA qualifiers and five Olympians.
Lochte will join a four-person staff headed by Dave Collins. He has amassed 12 MVC women’s titles, four men’s titles and 13 conference coach of the year titles in his 14 years at the helm.
In the announcement, Lochte credited the culture of the program for why he wanted to join the staff.
“There’s a strong sense of purpose, accountability, and team-first mentality,” Lochte said. “You can tell this is a program that’s building something meaningful and sustainable. Dave (Collins) and (associate head coach) Chelsea (Dirks-Ham) have created an environment that emphasizes development, not just performance, and that really resonates with me. Their vision for the program aligns with how I see the sport — developing complete athletes and great people. Being able to learn from them while also bringing my own experience to the table made this opportunity feel like the right fit.”
Lochte, 41, was one of the faces of swimming during the heights of his career, with major sponsorships, endorsements and appearances on TV shows displaying his lively personality.
He is the third-most decorated swimmer in Olympic history in medals, behind other greats Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky. Born in New York and raised in Daytona Beach, Florida, Lochte was a 24-time swimming All-American and seven-time NCAA champion at the University of Florida.
He’s broken records at every stop of his career and won 90 medals, including 54 golds, in major international competition.
But throughout his successes, Lochte has also been a controversial public figure.
In an incident dubbed “Lochtegate” by some, he falsely reported being robbed at gunpoint and was charged with falsely reporting a crime at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil, which was later dropped. He was suspended 10 months by USA Swimming and lost major sponsors as a result. He was also suspended for 14 months from competition by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in 2018 because he had received a “prohibited intravenous infusion.”
After Lochte failed to qualify for the 2020 Olympics, he posted an emotional video on Instagram pledging to “impact our youth and have them learn from my successes and failures.” Lochte’s statements explain that he hopes to do that with his new role.
“This opportunity (at Missouri State) means everything to me,” Lochte said. “Swimming gave me structure, purpose, and a platform to grow not just as an athlete, but as a person. To now step into a coaching role and pour that experience back into student-athletes is something I take seriously. At this level, it’s about more than times and results. It’s about helping young men and women build discipline, resilience, and confidence that will carry them far beyond the pool. I’ve lived the highs and the challenges of this sport, and I want to use that perspective to guide them, support them, and help them reach their full potential both in and out of the water.”
This will be one of Lochte’s first roles in coaching and his first coaching position at a university program.
“From a personal standpoint, this is a new chapter that I’m truly excited about,” Lochte said. “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. I want to be someone these athletes can trust — not just as a coach, but as a mentor who understands what they’re going through. This opportunity isn’t something I take lightly. It’s about building relationships, contributing to a winning culture, and helping shape the next generation — not just as swimmers, but as people.”
