Greg Meehan Named USA Swimming’s National Team Director

After a five-month long search, Greg Meehan has been named the new National Team Director for USA Swimming.

“I am beyond grateful to take on this role,” Meehan said in USA Swimming’s announcement. “My love for the Olympic movement–particularly for USA Swimming–has shaped so much of my life. As we look ahead to hosting the LA 2028 Olympic Games, our success will be a byproduct of the investments we make today through hard work, commitment, collaboration, and enthusiasm. I am honored to help lead this next chapter and inspire the next generation.”

He fills the role vacated by Lindsay Mintenko when she resigned as the National Team Managing Director last October after seven years on the job. Under Mintenko, the role changed not only its title but its function, shifting from a coaching position to more of an administrative one. In parallel to the disappointing performance at the 1988 Olympic Games that led to the creation of the National Team Director role, there was a significant push during the hiring process, which included a nine-member task force guiding the process, to return the position to the primary functions it had during the reign of Mintenko’s predecessors.

“Greg’s ability to connect with and elevate his athletes is remarkable,” said 12-time Olympic medalist and USA Swimming Board Chair-Elect Natalie Coughlin. “He not only understands the preparation and mindset required to perform at the highest level, but he also brings a clear vision for athlete development, performance strategy, and team culture. His leadership will be pivotal as USA Swimming continues to prioritize excellence.”

USA Swimming’s job posting for the role did not abandon the position’s administrative responsibilities, but did make it clear the organization was looking for someone with extensive on-deck experience domestically and internationally that could return the role to that of a high-level coach with a wide reach. The base salary of $300,000-$400,000 plus bonuses and “profit-sharing” is higher than what most collegiate coaches are paid—but slightly lower than what Bob Bowman, the reported highest-paid coach in the NCAA, makes, highlighting the type of names the organization was hoping to attract.

Chris Brearton, Chair of the USA Swimming Board of Directors echoed Coughlin’s remarks on Meehan’s expertise, adding “His extensive coaching experience and abundance of technical knowledge position him perfectly to lead USA Swimming’s National Team. He will play a vital role in shaping our High Performance Plan and fostering a culture of collaboration, professionalism, and accountability. His leadership will ensure our athletes and coaches are fully supported on the path to Olympic success.”

While there were rumors that USA Swimming would consider making this job remote for the right person, the official job posting did list Colorado Springs, Colorado as the job’s location. However, that’s less of an issue for Meehan now than it would have been a few years ago as he and his wife as their youngest child is currently a high school senior.

Meehan’s resume is certainly in line with the desire to return the role to its former function. Indeed, USA Swimming’s press release notes “Meehan’s track record of athlete development and international success was critical to his selection.”

The Paul A. Violich Director of Women’s Swimming at Stanford for the past 13 seasons, Meehan has won NCAA Swimming Coach of the Year three times. He has maintained the Cardinals’ streak of never finishing outside the top 10 at the NCAA Championships and guided the team to three-straight national team titles from 2017-2019. The 2017 title was the program’s first title in 19 years.

During their reign at the top of the Women’s NCAA standings, Meehan’s swimmers made more history. At the 2018 NCAA Championships, Stanford’s 13 event wins—five of which were American records–tied the record for event wins. Further, the team swept the relays, becoming just the third school to accomplish the feat at the Women’s DI NCAA Championships. His swimmers have won 33 individual national titles and 19 national relay titles. The Stanford women have never finished lower than third at a conference championship and won the Pac-12 Championship title seven times during Meehan’s guidance.

The Stanford women won four national titles during an excellent outing at the 2025 NCAA Championships—three individual, one relay—as they snapped Texas’ streak of runner-up finishes.

On the international front, Meehan has been on the U.S. Olympic coaching staff for the past three Games, including serving as U.S. Olympic Women’s Swimming Head Coach for the Tokyo Games. Meehan was an assistant coach in 2016 and 2024 and saw his swimmers win medals at all three Games. Most recently in Paris, his swimmer Torri Huske capitalized on her Olympic redshirt year, striking gold in the women’s 100-meter butterfly and leading all American swimmers with five total medals. In that span, Meehan has worked closely with multiple Olympic medalists and one Paralympian, earning the Golden Goggle for Coach of the Year in 2017 and 2018.

He served as the U.S. women’s team head coach at the 2017 and 2019 World Aquatic Championships, and as an assistant at the 2007 World University Games, 2014 Pan Pacific Championships, and 2015 and 2022 World Aquatic Championships.

Before arriving at Stanford, Meehan served on the Cal Golden Bears’ coaching staff for four seasons and was an associate head coach during the team’s back-to-back NCAA team title wins in 2011 and 2012. This experience will be vital for Meehan in his new role; with only one individual gold medal to their name at the Paris Olympics, the American men are in a much more tenuous position heading into LA 2028 than the women’s side. He’s also coached at William & Mary, Princeton, UCLA, and University of the Pacific.

While it is clear USA Swimming’s original goal was to have its new CEO in place before hiring the National Team Director, Meehan’s appointment puts a major piece of the puzzle into place for the organization. Now, it will be Meehan’s responsibility to fulfill the job description of creating and implementing a plan that will provide the U.S. National Team with a consistent message and course to chart in the lead-up to a home Olympic Games.

The position is a full-time job, meaning that Meehan’s tenure at Stanford is over. The original posting for the job, published late last year, listed a salary range of $300,000-$400,000, though Meehan’s salary won’t likely be made public until USA Swimming’s required tax filings are released sometime next year.