The final lists are in, and in 2012 a total of 30 coaches were awarded as a part of USA Swimming’s Coach’s Incentive program. Each year, both the coaches of record and the developmental coaches of medal-winning athletes at the designated Operation Gold Meet. With $330,000 in the award pool, the math worked out easily this year and coaches received an average of an even $11,000
This year, that meet was the Olympics, with three coaches eligible for each athlete who won an individual medal (in an Olympic event, but in the Olympics, all events are Olympic events): the athlete’s current coach, the athlete’s University coach, and the athlete’s Developmental Coach.
The current coach must meet the standard of having coached the athlete for at least 90 days in the 24-months in the leadup to the medal-winning performance. University coaches must have coached the athlete for at least two years at the time of the medal-winning performance to get credit. Finally, the developmental coach (es) must have coached the athlete for at least 24 months from ages 11-18.
Up to 4 coaches can receive awards for each medal-winning swim; if more than 4 coaches meet the criteria set up above, the developmental or university coaches who worked with the athlete for the shortest amount of time are cut from the list.
The program is designed not only to reward an athlete’s current coach, but those as young as the age group level who had a major impact on an athlete’s career.
Below is the list of all coaches awarded. We’ve done our best to assemble which athletes, specifically, each coach was eligible to receive an award for, but we apologize if we miss one. Let us know in the comments and we’ll add it.
| Coach | Club | Athlete(s) |
| Chuck Batchelor | Bluefish Swim Club | Elizabeth Beisel |
| Jack Bauerle | University of Georgia | Allison Schmitt |
| Mike Bottom | University of Michigan | Tyler Clary |
| Bob Bowman | North Baltimore Aquatic Club | Michael Phelps, Allison Schmitt |
| Carl Cederquist | Crimson Aquatics | Elizabeth Beisel |
| Jeff Cooper | Oakland Live Y’Ers | Peter Vanderkaay |
| Rick DeMont | Tucson Ford Dealers | Matt Grevers |
| Dave Durden | University of California | Nathan Adrian |
| Ron Forrest | Fort Worth Area Swim Team | Dana Vollmer |
| Bob Groseth | Northwestern University | Matt Grevers |
| Charlie Kennedy | Suburban Seahawks | Brendan Hansen |
| Michael Lawrence | Lake Forest Swim Club | Matt Grevers |
| Steve Lochte | Daytona Beach | Ryan Lochte |
| David Marsh | SwimMAC | Cullen Jones, Nick Thoman |
| Lea Maurer | Stanford University | Matt Grevers |
| Teri McKeever | University of California | Caitlin Leverenz, Dana Vollmer |
| Josh Morgan | Plymouth-Canton Cruisers | Allison Schmitt |
| Ed Nessel | Unattached | Cullen Jones |
| Dan Ohm | Aulea Swim Club | Allison Schmitt |
| Jeff Pearson | Sierra Marlins Swim Team | Haley Anderson |
| Eddie Reese | University of Texas | Brendan Hansen |
| Franz Resseguie | Tualatin Hills Swim Club | Caitlin Leverenz |
| Dave Salo | University of Southern California | Haley Anderson, Rebecca Soni |
| Todd Schmitz | Colorado Stars | Missy Franklin |
| Tom Speedling | Scarlet Aquatics | Rebecca Soni |
| Benson Spurling | Cincinnati Aquatic Club | Nick Thoman |
| Yuri Suguiyama | Nations Capital | Katie Ledecky |
| Brooks Teal | Unattached | Cullen Jones |
| Gregg Troy | University of Florida | Ryan Lochte, Elizabeth Beisel |
| Jon Urbanchek | FAST | Peter Vanderkaay, Tyler Clary |
I’m glad that all coaches throughout these swimmers lives were awarded because they made such a huge impact on them as swimmers and were the base of what they have been able to become today. I am constantly thinking about the coaches who have helped me get to the level I am at today.
Another point. Whether it is good for swimming or not a National age group championship is on it’s way. US Swimming better get on board or the train will roll on by wether it is right or not. How is that Little league organization doing with a singular age group. Good or bad the people will look for it.
I hope you are a coach in a non-English speaking country.
Nice to see Charlie Kennedy getting a piece of the action for Brendan Hansen success even today many years from his HS days and some of the other club coaches also. Us Swimming needs to broaden the Jr national program of camps and International experience before someday they take it upon themselves. This comes about because of the growth of older swimmers and growth of College/Club programs across the country. Have to nurture the base which has continually grown and needs continual attention.
Lea coached Grevers?
Yep. She was his coach in Illinois before coming to Stanford.
Not for 24 months
What about including how much $$ each coach made?
What about me? I got him out of bed, fed him, got him to practice; bought him new bathing suits, washed his clothes, reminded him to brush his teeth, etc.
Psychomom, I appreciate all you do for me, you know that. Wait, you meant our son?
I coach him, but remember old Cosby routine: when he makes Olympic team at Trials in 2018 he will say on National TV – Hi Mom, and break my heart.
They each got $11,000.
It’s not that simple:
DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS
Eligible primary coaches will receive: four shares of funding for a gold medal performance, two shares for a silver medal and one share for a bronze medal. If a primary coach who qualifies for a share of the funding coached the medal winning athlete for five years or more at any time in the athlete’s career (consecutive or non consecutive), he/she will receive an additional one share. The available dollars will be divided by the total number of shares to determine the value of each share. The amount of the Coach Incentive money that a coach may receive for any given performance may not exceed the medal money available to the athlete.
Sorry you’re right, it’s $11,000 average per coach.
Would be hard to get the exact dollar figure per person until some of the questions like PVK are answered.
I completely agree. When you add the extra share if you coach a swimmer 5+ years, it makes it more difficult to figure out the exact total for each coach.
How do I make sure I get that money next year? I coach our son and he can swim 19.2 (on 25 free). That is faster than what Feigen did at the MN Grand Prix (19.8) and he is only 10. I should be considered.
This is an awesome account.
Have to be 11 for you to get credit ;-).
doesn’t matter too much, but shouldn’t Teri be credited with Dana Vollmer and David Salo with Rebecca Soni…I’m sure there were many more, though those were the most obvious. Also the distance/open water coach from USC was credited (I’m forgetting her name) for Haley’s performance at all.
Catherine Vogt.
Chuck Batchelor is also missing.
anonymous – good call on Vollmer/Soni. Added them to each coach’s list. Unfortunately, it seems as though Catherine Vogt wasn’t the coach of record for Anderson under the criteria above, and thus isn’t getting a share of her performance via this program.
Shouldn’t Gregg Troy also be credited with PVK?
This is a tricky one Sean…it’s hard to know who is getting credit for being his “coach of record,” since he has represented the Oakland Live Y’Ers for most of his time in Gainesville. Your guess is as good as mine on that one.