How Has Your Role Evolved?

It feels like I’m more of a CEO now than a swim coach.

A lot of it’s due to the changing climate of the NCAA. With NIL and revenue sharing, head coaches in every college sport have become more like general managers.

Take Luka’s trade, for example. When he was traded from Dallas to LA this past summer, the Mavericks’ head coach didn’t even know it was happening — the GM handled it, and Luka was gone.

For us, it’s different. If I’ve got a trade happening, I’m the one making the decision and coaching that athlete.

I’m still on the deck, writing practices, and coming up with revolutionary training ideas, but I'm also now fundraising and dealing with professional athletes.

When I go to the Olympics, I’m not coaching at all — I’m managing, 100%.

And the better our kids get, the more we manage than coach.

It’s a new challenge, but a good one.