Podcast: Ryan Lochte Talks Coaching, Gregg Troy, And His Next Chapter In Swimming
5/16/202632 min
12-time Olympic swimming medalist Ryan Lochte is making his coaching debut as an assistant coach at Missouri State, joining Dave Collins’ staff for the 2026–27 season. It is a measured move. Lochte is not jumping straight into a head coaching position. He admits he has a lot to learn. For Ryan, coaching is not some far-flung idea. His father, Steve Lochte, coached for 44 years, and both Steve and Ryan’s mother, Ileana “Ike” Lochte, coached him when he was young. Swimming was not just what Ryan did, it was the language of the house. In this GMM Podcast, Lochte talks about why he is taking this path slowly, why the assistant role matters, and how he hopes to develop into a head coach over time. He also reflects on the influence of longtime Florida coach Gregg Troy, whose program was built on honest work and the kind of discipline that leaves no room for shortcuts. Lochte says he wants to channel that influence now, not as a copy of Coach Troy, but as someone shaped by it.
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First 90 secondsMel Stewart· Host0:00
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Mel Stewart· Host0:20
Launch your podcast on Podbean today. [upbeat music] I'm Mel Stewart and this is a GMM takeover of the Swim Swam podcast. Joining me today, Ryan Lochte, 12-time Olympic medalist, who has recently announced that he's making his coaching debut at Missouri State under head coach Dave Collins. Ryan will be the assistant coach at Missouri State for the 2026-2027 season. We just wanted to drop in and have a conversation with him because this is, uh, it's kind of a historic moment. Big storied athlete, Olympic icon, coming from a family of coaches. His mother and father coached him until he was 12. This is kind of in his skin. He's a guy who's probably done a thousand plus clinics. Also, I th- I think this has been in the back of his mind for a long time. We talk about all of the factors that came together and how this lined up. Part of it is that his girlfriend is, she's from Missouri. Between he and, and she, they have six children, and it seems like Missouri is gonna be a nice lifestyle for them, and Ryan is very excited about this new adventure. I hope you enjoy this conversation. Ryan Lochte. Hey, buddy. How you doing?
Ryan Lochte· Guest1:25
I'm doing fantastic. How are you doing?
Mel Stewart· Host1:27
[laughs] I, I'm... Cards on the table. Uh, cards on the table.