1992 U.S. Olympian Sean Killion Taking First Club Coaching Job at Mavericks Swimming

Former Olympic swimmer Sean Killion is returning to the pool deck as the next head coach of the Mavericks Swimming Association club next month in Half Moon Bay, California.

Killion made the 1992 U.S. Olympic team that competed in Barcelona, Spain, qualifying for both the 400-meter freestyle and 1500 free. The Cal graduate then retired from competitive swimming and took an assistant coaching job at Rutgers — near his hometown in New Jersey — but left a year later to pursue a career in sales. Three decades later, the 55-year-old felt the urge to give coaching another shot.

“I think a lot of it was this lingering sense that (coaching) is something I should do at some point, and then it just kind of lined up to where from a career perspective,” Killion told the Half Moon Bay Review. “I kind of feel like I hit the things that I wanted to achieve, and then now it’s maybe a new chapter.

“I just started looking around, ‘What are the programs in the area who might need help?'” added Killion, who spent the past decade working at Indeed. “And I literally just saw the job ad for head coach… The community seems very just in line with the way that I think.”

Mavericks Swimming Association, which practices at the Half Moon Bay High School pool, was last certified as a Bronze Medal Club by USA Swimming in 2016. According to the Half Moon Bay Review, “various staffing changes over the past few years have resulted in increased turnover at the pool.”

Killion also represented the U.S. internationally at the 1987 and 1991 Pan Pacific Championships, capturing a gold medal in the 400 free in 1991 after taking silver in the event in 1987. He beat Russian distance phenom Vladimir Salnikov in the 400 free at the 1986 Goodwill Games and also held the American record in the 800 free for more than 15 years (from July 27, 1987, to August 25, 2002).

In his free time, Killion enjoys surfing, sometimes on the treacherous waves of Mavericks off Half Moon Bay. He grew up as a multi-sport athlete playing baseball, basketball, and soccer as well as swimming.