University of Iowa head women’s swimming & diving coach Nathan Mundt has received a new three year contract that would keep him on deck in Iowa City through at least the 2028-2029 season.
The new agreement includes a base salary raise from $107,500 per year to $123,000 per year, a raise of $15,500 annually.
Editor’s note: these contracts only include money that is promised by the university and its athletics department and doesn’t include any outside money like endorsements or money from booster clubs, which are not necessarily subject to public record. Sometimes those other amounts are minor, and sometimes they are significant.
His prior contract, which was a five year deal that took effect in June 2021, was due to expire at the end of June.
The new contract is about a 14% raise, which is less than the CPI Inflation rate over the same period (roughly 23%).
The new deal has also removed several incentives that existed in the old contract, including:
- Team Top 10 Big Ten finish ($2,000)
- Team Top 8 Big Ten finish ($3,000)
- Individual Big Ten bronze medal ($1,000)
- Individual Big Ten silver medal ($1,500)
- Underrepresented minority GSR incentive ($1,500)
Instead, the new incentive structure is focused on higher level achievements, with the same basic payouts for those higher level achievements.
Incentive Structure
| Category | Incentive | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Success | Top-1/2 of Big Ten for Women’s Swimming APR Multi-Year | $1,500 |
| Academic Success | Top-1/2 of Big Ten for Women’s Swimming FGR | $1,500 |
| Academic Success | Top-1/2 of Big Ten for Women’s Swimming GSR | $1,500 |
| Big Ten Conference | Team Top 5 Conference Tournament Finish | $4,000 |
| Big Ten Conference | Team Top 3 Conference Tournament Finish | $5,000 |
| Big Ten Conference | Team Conference Tournament Champion | $10,000 |
| Big Ten Conference | Individual Big Ten Champion | $3,000 per athlete |
| NCAA | Team NCAA Top 25 | $7,000 |
| NCAA | Team NCAA Top 15 | $8,000 |
| NCAA | Team NCAA Top 4 | $15,000 |
| NCAA | Team NCAA National Championship | $25,000 |
| NCAA | Individual NCAA Qualifier | $1,000 per athlete |
| NCAA | Individual NCAA National Champion | $5,000 per athlete |
| Coach of the Year | NCAA National Coach of the Year | $5,000 |
| Coach of the Year | Big Ten Coach of the Year | $2,500 |
The new contract also includes significantly reduced buyouts. For example, in his old contract, if he had voluntarily left in year 1, it would have cost him twice his salary ($215,000). In the new deal, it would only cost him one year of his salary ($123,000). Year 2 would cost him half of a year’s salary ($61,500) and year 3 would have no penalty.
The buyout can be waived if he leaves for a non-Division I head coaching job and gives 30 days’ notice.
Mundt was hired in 2021 to revive the program after the University of Iowa first cut both its men’s and women’s teams, but then was forced to reinstate the women’s program after a Title IX lawsuit.
He previously served as an assistant coach with the program from 2008-2016.
In the 2025-2026 season, the Hawkeyes set school records in the 50 free, 200 free relay, and 400 free relay. Those efforts were driven by freshman Payton Flowers, who finished 8th at the Big Ten Championships in the 50 free after a school record of 21.94 in prelims. She crushed the former school record of 22.55 set by Hannah Burvill in 2018.
Iowa has a deep recruiting class scheduled to arrive in the fall, including Yaya Nieckula from Illinois who arrives with a best time of 53.47 in the 100 fly.
When does the court ruling that forces the university to keep Women’s Swim & Dive expire? 2027? I know it’s coming up shortly.
Like many lawsuits that Iowa Athletics (well, former AD Gary Barta in reality) lost to the tune of $11M total over the years, this particular lawsuit that the women’s team won put a clock on years where the program couldn’t be cut. Not that Iowa is waiting it out to cut them, and perhaps they won’t, but does anyone know the date?
this guy has done nothing in terms of elevating the program
Congrats, Nate! Well deserved!
Does he get discounts on snow boots, snow blowers and snow shovels?
Its about time swimming salaries started catching up with the rest of the country.
It’s nice that despite almost being cut from the sports program a few years ago, Iowa girls swimming is going strong!
For a Women’s only program that’s a nice salary! And in Iowa!