Eight-time Olympic swim coach Mark Schubert is heading to American Renaissance Academy, a private K-12 school on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, following his latest stint leading a pro group with The Swim Team (TST) based out of Orange County, California.
Schubert recently met with American Renaissance Academy owners, toured their weight room and Kapolei Aquatics Center featuring a 50-meter pool, and was immediately sold. The 75-year-old distance guru bought a condo in the southwest corner of Oahu that same day.
According to Schubert, “three or four” families from TST are following him out to American Renaissance Academy. He also hopes that Paris 2024 Olympian David Johnston will join him in Oahu after he completes the 2024-25 season at the University of Texas. Schubert envisions his Hawaii training group becoming a hub for swimmers from Korea, Japan, and China as well as the United States given its mid-Pacific Ocean location between Asia and America.
Schubert is naming his latest pro group, “Podium Swim Club.” He’ll start his new role next month.
Schubert launched TST in connection with Saddleback El Toro Swim Team in 2021 after retiring from nearby Mission Viejo. He took a temporary leave of absence in 2022 to coach Chinese swimmers abroad. His longtime assistant, Fernando Soraggi, is also coming with him from California to Hawaii.
“I’m really excited and I think this a great opportunity,” said Schubert, whose new home will be five minutes from the beach.
Schubert’s time at TST came to an end this past summer after a disagreement with club management over money. He says he gave up six months of salary under the impression it would be distributed among assistants, but that arrangement never came to fruition. Sprint specialist Brett Hawke was hired as his replacement last month.
Schubert was the USA Swimming National Team head coach from 2006 until 2010. He was also previously the head coach at USC and the University of Texas. He served as a member of the US Olympic Team staff at the 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008 Olympic Games. He also led the Mission Viejo Nadadores to nine national team titles in his first stint with the club, and coached swimmers like Janet Evans, Shirley Babashoff, Brian Goodell, Mike O’Brien, Sippy Woodhead, Kaitlin Sandeno, Jessica Hardy, Larsen Jensen, Erik Vendt, Lindsay (Benko) Mintenko, Ous Mellouli, and Dara Torres.
He built a great program at Mission in the 70s..he started with a few girls that moved from Flip Darrs program..already national level..then built up homegrown swimmers, along with smart international recruitment. Then swimmers came who didn’t really improve much..Janet Evans, swam under Bud McAllister when she swam her great 400m free..Mary T did not equal her 200 fly record under Mark..yet his program attracted the best, and his swimmers seem fiercely loyal.
He built a dynasty as a young fearless coach..he should go down as one of the greats..unfortunately, he took on administrative duties within USA swimming, which certainly tarnished his great coaching legacy.
When you have to go back *50 years* to talk about his glory days, that kind of proves the point most here are making.
Why is Schubert afraid to retire?? Go enjoy your golden years.
why was Schubert’s last stint at Mission Viejo so short
When do we get Steve Friederang’s 37,294 word post accepting a position with Schubert even though his name won’t ever appear anywhere officially, with at least 8 Olympic coach/swimmer name drops? Oh, and sign up for his magazine!
Pretty expensive place to live for someone trying to make a living as a pro swimmer.
Given all the catty, snide remarks here in COMMENTS, would SwimSwam care to do a dispassionate
bio piece on Schubert – his ups; his downs; his successes; his flops? I’d read it for sure.
Google “Dagney Knutson” and “Mark Schubert”. You’ll get a sense of a few of his low points.
From Ohio High School to Mission Viejo. To coaching fame.
Ah, the Prince of Darkness.
as long as that technique whisperer guru dude keeps posting on schubert articles i am all for this