National Team Managing Director Lindsay Mintenko announced her resignation in a USA Swimming press release on Friday, September 6th. The news comes on Tim Hinchey’s last day as the President and CEO of USA Swimming, after it was announced he would be replaced nine days ago. There were several reports about Mintenko’s resignation when Hinchey’s departure was announced but there was nothing official released until today, when it was announced September 20th would be her last day with USA Swimming.
Mintenko also sent out a letter to the National Team, writing “After almost 19 years of being able to support you on your journey, I have decided to step away from my role later this month. It has been an honor to work with all of you and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity and forever proud of your accomplishments.”
In USA Swimming’s press release, Shana Ferguson said “We are deeply grateful to Lindsay for her dedication and leadership throughout her decades as an athlete, Olympic team captain, and staff member of USA Swimming.” Ferguson was Chief Operating Officer until Hinchey’s departure when she took over as the interim CEO of USA Swimming. “Her passion for the sport, coupled with her uncompromising commitment to our athletes, has left a lasting impact on the entire swimming community. We are a better sport and a better team because of Lindsay.”
Mintenko was hired in October 2017, about a month after Hinchey took over the top job. A member of the National Team staff since 2006, Mintenko was USA Swimming’s first female senior executive to lead the National Team Division.
Under Mintenko, the title of the position not only changed from National Team Director to National Team Managing Director. The role changed as well, shifting from a coaching position to more of an administrative role. Before joining USA Swimming, Mintenko was an assistant coach at USC but did not have the same resume as the coaches who had previously served as National Team Director. Frank Busch held the role until his retirement in October 2017, when Mintenko came on board. In 2022, the most recent year for which USA Swimming has released its 990 forms, Mintenko was the organization’s fourth-highest paid employee listed, earning $293,927 in reportable compensation, plus an additional $52,951 in estimated other compensation.
Lagging results in international competitions for the last two years have prompted many stakeholders to question whether the role’s shift in focus is a factor in recent American results in the pool. While the U.S. preserved its streak of winning the swimming medal table at the Olympic Games, the team’s eight golds were the fewest won by the U.S. during their streak and the fewest to win the medal table since 1956.
Recent international results were also an area of concern for the American Swimming Coaches Association, which was one of two organizations—the other being the USA Swimming Coaches Advisory Council (CAC)— to write letters last month to USA Swimming’s Board of Directors expressing a lack of trust in USA Swimming’s leadership and demanding changes. ASCA’s letter stated that one of the areas they were concerned with was “our perceived weaker performance on the world stage and significant coach feedback expressing dissatisfaction with our national governing body.” Mintenko’s departure coincides with the ongoing ASCA World Clinic in Orlando, FL, where sources tell SwimSwam Mintenko’s departure has been a popular topic of conversation.
In their press release, USA Swimming stated it “remains deeply committed to fostering the sport’s growth and maintaining its position as a global leader in competitive swimming. The organization will continue to build on Mintenko’s foundation and focus on the development of future champions.” It also states the organization will begin immediately searching for Mintenko’s replacement, though there is no mention of whether the role’s responsibilities will change.
Read the full press release below.
USA Swimming’s Full Press Release
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO— Lindsay Mintenko, Managing Director of the National Team at USA Swimming, the national governing body for the sport of swimming in the United States, today announced resignation from her position effective September 20, 2024. Mintenko’s departure marks the conclusion of a notable tenure with USA Swimming, during which she played a pivotal role in the success and development of the U.S. National Team.
Mintenko, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, has been with the organization for nearly 19 years. She was named Managing Director of the National Team in 2017 and oversaw the performance of the U.S. National Team at two Olympic Games and six long course World Championships. During that time, USA Swimming secured 643 international medals, averaging more than 30 total medals and 16 golds at each competition.
“We are deeply grateful to Lindsay for her dedication and leadership throughout her decades as an athlete, Olympic team captain, and staff member of USA Swimming,” said Shana Ferguson, USA Swimming Interim CEO. “Her passion for the sport, coupled with her uncompromising commitment to our athletes, has left a lasting impact on the entire swimming community. We are a better sport and a better team because of Lindsay.”
In her role as National Team Managing Director, Mintenko oversaw all aspects of USA Swimming’s National Team, Olympic Team, National Junior Team, and Open Water program. Under her direction, USA Swimming became the first NGB to employ a full-time mental health employee. Her comprehensive approach to athlete performance and coach development leaves a legacy beyond the pool and will benefit generations of athletes to come.
Mintenko said, “I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the athletes and coaches of USA Swimming and will forever be proud of their accomplishments. I learned from them every day, from the 2006 Pan Pacific Championships trip to the 2024 Olympic Games. I will now be the loudest one in the stands, cheering for the athletes and coaches who have inspired so many people.”
Mintenko’s resignation is effective September 20, 2024, and together with the USA Swimming Board of Directors, Athletes’ Advisory Council, National Team Steering Committee and other key leaders, USA Swimming will begin the search for Mintenko’s successor immediately.
USA Swimming remains committed to fostering the sport’s growth and maintaining its position as a global leader in competitive swimming. The organization will continue to build on Mintenko’s foundation and focus on the development of future champions.
Lindsay never was the problem or the solution to how many American athletes reach the top of the podium. Our athletes come from 50 states, thousands of teams and coaches. The strength of USA Swimming is those coaches, programs, and, most of all athletes. By the time they get to the National Team, the role is not to make them faster but to make sure they have the travel, food, equipment and pools to train and compete in, etc. Did our swimmers swim slower because of Lindsay? No. Will replacing her make the difference? No. What will make the difference starts with helping rank and file coaches and their teams do an accountably better job of talent recognition, training, and… Read more »
word count: 1299
I counted 1298 let me go back and check my math.
“It was my understanding that there would be no math…”
This is the comments section, not the essay section.
I have never met Steve but know he rubs some people the wrong way. Hell, we all rub people the wrong way at some time! But maybe it is time to consider his recommendations instead of focusing on word count. Successful individuals and organizations always look for ways to improve, even when success is being experienced. By most metrics and posted comments, USA did not have a successful Olympics or at least up to our historical expectations. We should be welcoming opinions and dialogue. IMO, you can never have too much information or too much communication.
There’s a time and place for a screed like that. He may have some good points, but we’ll never know because no one comes to the comment section to read that. You can have too much info and communication depending on the context. His essay is the perfect example of that.
Man, ain’t no one reading all that.
If we’ve heard anything for a while now, it’s that USA Swimming had become a toxic work environment since Tim arrived. It might have been that for some before that, but it definitely seemed to change for the worse with his arrival. I don’t know if Lindsay was a victim of that toxicity or complicit in it, but the dysfunction at USA Swimming doesn’t lie solely with Tim and Lindsay. And while there won’t be a shortage of willing applicants, getting paid $300k a year doesn’t make it a good job. As to director vs managing director, there is no reason the managing director position can’t work effectively given the right culture and support with the right candidate.
I was called a hater all last year after the Worlds performance… looks like they agreed after the awful Olympic performance.
USA men is in deep trouble
You have been accurately called worse.
Lindsay Mintenko is an Olympic Gold Medalist and former World Record Holder. She is probably the most athlete-friendly administrator ever, having walked the walk as an athlete and coach. There are very few people who have her breadth of experience as an NCAA Champion, Olympic Champion, and National Team Administrator. The National Team Director position is largely thankless. If you win, it’s business as usual. If you don’t meet those lofty expectations, you are perceived as a failure. I personally didn’t agree with all of the decisions that were made by her, but I understand the situation she was in and the pressure that comes with it. All things considered, she performed well in my opinion. Good luck to whoever… Read more »
I personally wouldn’t describe a position that comes with hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual compensation as “thankless”, nor do I think USA Swimming is going to have a hard time finding someone who wants to brave that minefield. It’s nice of you to stick up for someone who is being dogpiled on, though.
Love all the hate but how much impact is she having on team USAs performance? Maybe Tim from a strategic perspective? What about we look at ncaa vs international training cycle focus’? Underlying root causes not just people.. leave Lindsay alone!
I’m sure they’re out there, but I’ve yet to meet a good coach that’s also a really great administrator. Lol
It seems like there’s a lot more heads that should be cleared out if things are actually going to change, the rotten culture resulting in such dsyfunction can’t possibly be the result of two bad apples
Not optimistic at the moment unless they can really start to be honest about wtfs been going on
Probably not a popular opinion, but the group that is the most responsible for this mess is our Board of Directors. Hinchey was not a good CEO for USA Swimming and the red flags have been there for years, but the board kept their heads in the sand until they basically had their backs against the wall.
The lack of transparency in how the new CEO will be selected is both consistent with their behavior and very concerning.
The fact that he told congress that he hadn’t read the Code of Conduct, given who he replaced, weas a gigantic red flag. I assumed at the time that he was strategically telling a white lie, because the code of conduct is not very long and he could’ve asked for a bathroom break and read it.
What I could never figure out was what the end game of telling such a fib would be. Either way, I think that should have been a bigger red flag than it was.
I said that three years ago. After the sh@t storm USAS went through after Chuck’s 20/20 interview, the Code of Conduct would have been something I memorized on day one of my job. Not Tim.
It seems pretty simple. In corporate America we do it all the time. Agree on the goals that you can act on and then figure out the quadrennial and annual tasks to take us there.
Then assess every year as to how we are tracking to completing/accomplishing those goals and identify our failures and shortcomings and determine what changes are necessary. It’s not rocket science.
One of things I have noticed that damages realizing the goals is when corporate and individual egos get in the way. This requires outstanding leadership from the top.