Minnesota Names Stacy Busack, Mike Joyce Head Coaches; Kremer Now Director of Swimming

Courtesy: Minnesota Athletics

MINNEAPOLIS – Members of the Minnesota swimming and diving coaching staff have earned title changes, it was announced Wednesday.

Kelly Kremer, who recently completed his 25th season on staff at Minnesota, will become Director of Swimming and Diving. Previously, Kremer had been the first and only head coach of a combined University of Minnesota men’s and women’s swimming and diving program since April of 2011.

In 2022-23, Kremer mentored Max McHugh on his way to a third straight NCAA title in the 100 breast and a top-three finish in the 200 breast. McHugh became just the seventh male in NCAA history to win three straight 100 breast titles and the eighth to win three titles overall in the event. He also ended his career by finishing no worse than third in either the 100 or 200 breast at the NCAA Championships.

The men’s team finished 21st at the 2023 NCAAs, marking the 32nd straight year with a top-25 finish for the program. It’s the sixth longest active streak in the nation. Meanwhile, the women claimed 17th for their 17th straight year in the top 25. Combined, the men’s and women’s programs are just one of six schools nationally to have the men’s and women’s teams each finish in the top-25 for the last 17 years.

During the 12 seasons of Kremer’s tenure as head coach of the joint program, the women’s team has tallied 84 individual and 24 relay All-America honors, while the men have earned 43 individual and 10 relay accolades in that time.

With Kremer moving into his new role, Stacy Busack will move to Head Women’s Swimming Coach, while Mike Joyce will become Head Men’s Swimming Coach. Maddy Olson has also earned a promotion from assistant coach to Associate Coach for Swimming and Diving.

Busack will be in her third year on staff after spending the past two as associate head coach and head of women’s recruiting. She works with the women’s sprint group, highlighted by Hannah Cornish reaching the NCAA Championships as a freshman in 2022.

“I am honored and excited to serve Minnesota Swimming and Diving in this role,” Busack said. “I’m looking forward to continuing working with this fantastic group of student-athletes, coaches, and administrators to pursue excellence for our team, The U, and our community. Go Gophers!”

Like Busack, Joyce is also approaching his third season on staff. He was the men’s director of recruiting, in addition to being associate head coach. He primarily works with the backstroke, butterfly and 200 IM. Last season, Desmon Sachtjen broke his own school record in the 200 back, while Kaiser Neverman qualified for NCAAs and set school marks in the 100 and 200 fly events, and set a school record in the 200 IM.

“Since arriving at Minnesota, I have believed that this team is willing and able to achieve our program’s definition of success,” Joyce said. “Our team’s growth mindset, the student-athletes’ belief in each other, their commitment to the classroom and their passion for everything Minnesota Swimming and Diving makes me proud to be a part of it. 

“Coach Kremer has built an amazing culture that provides our student-athletes with a remarkable four-year experience. I am so thankful that he brought me here to Minnesota and that he believes in me enough to promote me with this title change. Our athletic director Mark Coyle has a mantra of ‘low ego, high output’ and that will continue to be something that will guide the team and myself. Keep climbing!”

Olson spent the past five seasons as assistant coach/coordinator of recruiting and communications. She has spent the past two seasons working with the distance group, which includes NCAA qualifiers Bar Soloveychik, Chris Nagy and Megan Van Berkom.

“I’m looking forward to my sixth season on the Gophers’ coaching staff,” Olson said. “Minnesota is home for me, and I can’t wait to continue to work with our student-athletes.”