Brendan Hansen Appointed as USA Swimming’s National Junior Team Director

Brendan Hansen has been appointed as USA Swimming’s National Junior Team Director. As part of the position, Hansen will develop programs to take swimmers from top-performing age group swimmers to the Olympic Games.

Hansen previously served as Director of Team Services for USA Swimming. He joined the USA Swimming team in 2019, and has since worked on educational materials and resources for coaches and clubs. He was an in-venue host for the Olympic Trials three times, and has held leadership positions for multiple different international competitions.

Under Hansen’s leadership, Americans won the team award with 44 total medals at the 2024 Junior Pan Pacific Championships.

“Brendan offers unique experience to this role; he has been an athlete, a coach, and a staff member, so he understands the concerns and motivation of so many of our key stakeholders,” USA Swimming Chief Operating Officer and interim Chief Executive Officer Shana Ferguson said in a press release. “We are thrilled Brendan is moving to the National Team staff to help propel our National Junior Team program through the next quad.”

Outside of his leadership positions, Hansen is a six-time Olympic medalist and 25-time international medalist. He previously held the world record in the 100m and 200m breaststroke, was a 13-time NCAA champion, and a 16-time All-American.

Following the end of his active swimming career, Hansen was the founding head coach a USA Swimming Club program in Austin, Texas, called Austin Swim Club. Hansen built the team of over 300 swimmers, and 10 swimmers from the club competed in the 2016 Olympic Trials, qualifying the team as a USA Swimming Club Excellence Gold Medal Team.

“Once I made the National Junior Team in 1997, I had mentors guide me to the National Team and consistent successes for 13 years across three quadrennium,” Hansen said in the press release. “I look forward to the opportunity to be that leader while connecting current athletes with my generation of National Junior Team and National Team alumni. It can truly be a life-changing moment for an athlete and coach to make the National Junior team roster, and I am excited to be part of the internal team that drives that experience for them.”

Erik Posegay held the position of National Junior Team Director before Hansen. Posegay was hired in March of 2022 after the position sat vacant for nearly two years. In September of 2023, Posegay was promoted to National Coach in addition to his original title with USA Swimming.

In April, Posegay was hired by Bob Bowman to be an associate head coach of the men’s team, making him one of the highest-paid assistants in the country at a base salary of $120,000. Posegay and Bowman worked together at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club for four years.

There was a relatively quick turnaround between Posegay leaving the position to Hansen being hired, especially given that the job was vacant for two years before Posegay stepped in.

USA Swimming is still searching for a new National Team Director, as they recently created a 9-member task force to begin the hiring process. However, the position is likely to remain empty until the hiring of a new CEO. The company has been on the search for a new CEO since Tim Hinchey was let go in August after seven years on the job. Shana Ferguson took over as interim CEO later that same day.

Hansen is originally from Haverford, Pennsylvania. He moved to Austin, Texas, to attend the University of Texas where he earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2005. In 2015, he was inducted into the University of Texas Athletics Hall of Honor and the Texas Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame. Five years later, he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. This year, he became a member of the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.