Ryan Lochte Hired as Missouri State Swim Coach

Olympic swimming legend Ryan Lochte has been hired as an assistant coach for the men's and women's programs at Missouri State University, the school announced Sunday. The 41-year-old, who won six gold medals and 12 total medals across four Summer Olympics, will join head coach Dave Collins later this summer for the 2026-2027 season.

Lochte, a 24-time All-American and seven-time NCAA champion at the University of Florida, brings a resume that includes 18 long-course world championships, 21 short-course world titles and eight world records. His career highlights also encompass 90 medals, including 54 golds, from major international competitions. He last competed at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials, placing seventh in the 200-meter individual medley, an event in which he once held the world record.

The move marks Lochte's first university coaching position and a shift from competition to mentorship. "Swimming gave me structure, purpose and a platform to grow not just as an athlete but as a person," Lochte said in a statement. "To now step into a coaching role and pour that experience back into student-athletes is something I take seriously. It's about more than times and results. It's...