Ryan Lochte is joining Missouri State’s coaching staff as an assistant coach for the 2026-2027 season, the school announced May 10, 2026. It will be his coaching debut after a decorated swimming career that included four Olympic Games and multiple world records.
Lochte said the culture at Missouri State is what drew him in, pointing to a strong sense of purpose, accountability and a team-first mentality. He said head coach Dave Collins and associate head coach Chelsea Dirks-Ham have built an environment that emphasizes development, not just performance, and said he is excited about this new chapter in his career.
The hire gives Missouri State one of the sport’s most recognizable names as the program tries to build on a strong year. The men won their sixth Missouri Valley Conference title and their 22nd overall conference championship this past season, while the women finished third out of nine teams at the 2026 Missouri Valley Conference Championships and one swimmer qualified for the 2026 NCAA Championship.
Lochte has not competed since the 2021 US Olympic Trials-Wave II, where he finished seventh in the 200 IM. His last race came years after an international career that included appearances for the United States at the 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, a world record in the men’s 200 IM that stood until July 2025, and a 6:58.55 mark on the men’s 4×200 free relay in 2009.
His background extends well beyond the pool. Lochte graduated from Florida in 2007 with a degree in sport management, was a 24-time All-American and a seven-time NCAA champion, and held NCAA records in the 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke, 200 IM and 400 IM. Collins has been Missouri State’s head coach since 2012, and Dirks-Ham has been an associate head coach since 2013.
For Missouri State, the move is a clear bid to turn elite experience into daily influence. For Lochte, it is a first step into coaching at a program that believes development matters as much as results.
