AUSTIN, TEXAS – MARCH 23: Greg Meehan of the Stanford Cardinals celebrates a victory at the 2019 Division I Women’s Swimming Championships on March 23, 2019 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
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As Greg Meehan reflects on the 2025 World Championships in Singapore and looks ahead to Los Angeles 2028, his message is one of optimism and a drive toward future success. Meehan was appointed USA Swimming’s National Team Managing Director in the spring of 2025, bringing years of experience coaching at the highest levels of the sport.
Meehan has coached for USA Swimming since 2007, serving as Olympic Women’s Head Coach in Tokyo 2020, assistant coach in Rio 2016 and Paris 2024 and leading the U.S. women at the 2017 and 2019 World Championships while assisting at other major international meets.
Meehan spent 13 seasons as Stanford University’s Paul A. Violich Director of Women’s Swimming, guiding the program to seven Pac-12 titles and three consecutive NCAA national championships from 2017 to 2019. During that time, he coached athletes including Katie Ledecky, Simone Manuel and Torri Huske and was recognized three times as NCAA Coach of the Year.
Now, as National Team Managing Director, Meehan helps shape the culture, development pathways and high-performance strategy for Team USA. From tactical guidance and technical skill development to analytics, funding and athlete support, he works to ensure every coach and swimmer has the resources needed to thrive, all while keeping a steady focus on the 2028 Olympics.
Lessons From Singapore
SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE – AUGUST 02: Jack Alexy, Patrick Sammon, Kate Douglass and Torri Huske of Team United States are raect after winning gold and setting a new a new world record of 3:18.48 after competing in the Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Final on day 23 of the Singapore 2025 World Aquatics Championships at World Aquatics Championships Arena on August 02, 2025 in Singapore. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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As the 2025 World Championships approached, Meehan was confident in Team USA’s ability to perform well. The U.S. National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, served as the qualifying meet for the World Championship roster, and performances at nationals exceeded his expectations, especially given that it was the first year of the Olympic quad, a period that often sees a slight lull. Nonetheless, it was a fast meet.
Despite the challenges of illness that affected many on the roster during the World Championships, Team USA came motivated and ready. “Unless you were on the ground there, it’s hard to fully grasp how sick and the number of people who were sick,” Meehan said. “The fact that we, you know, did what we did is a testament to our staff and athletes on just staying resilient and perseverance. It could have gone sideways, and it didn’t.”
Perseverance and toughness stood out in Singapore, as did leadership, especially from younger athletes beginning to move into that next phase of their careers, which Meehan expects will positively influence Team USA over the next three years. He also identified technical areas, such as relays, underwater work and approaches to turns, where the team can make improvements.
Building Toward 2028
As Team USA looks toward the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, individualized sessions will be held with all 121 national team athletes to hear their goals and share the team’s plan for achieving them.
Meehan mentioned Regan Smith as one of these athletes and said, “When we are watching Regan, we are obviously going to evaluate from a coach’s lens but also, I want to look through Regan’s lens to know what she is thinking about and, you know, does she like to watch race video? Does she like to look at race stats? What skills is she working on? And the better we understand that, the more information we have to make that one-tenth difference, two-tenths-of-a-second difference. That’s the short-term vision we think is going to impact our long-term in terms of LA. It’s just trying to be better at each step along the way.”
The focus is on steady improvement from 2025 to 2026, building toward the World Championships in 2027 and the Olympics in 2028, with communication and transparency central to the approach. “Not everyone has to agree with each piece of our vision, but people are more apt to get on board when they at least know what the plan is,” he says. Building partnerships with both athletes and coaches is important because, as he puts it, “At the end of the day, we all want the same thing, right? And that’s to swim fast and win the Olympic Games.”
Beyond reflecting on performances and strengthening partnerships with athletes and coaches, Meehan also emphasizes team culture. To foster unity, USA Swimming held an onboarding event in Colorado Springs, giving athletes time together in a noncompetitive setting. His goal is for every athlete to feel connected to something larger than themselves, recognizing that wearing the stars and stripes represents not only the team but also a legacy that extends beyond individual competition.
Supporting Athlete Well-Being And Looking Ahead
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – MARCH 03: Coach Greg Meehan talks with Katie Ledecky after the Women’s 1500 Meter Freestyle Final on Day 1 of the TYR Pro Swim Series at San Antonio on March 03, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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When it comes to mental health, Meehan says the goal is connecting athletes with the right resources. The national team has a manager of mental health and access to U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee resources, with a second dedicated professional joining in November. A new director of medical services will also oversee physical and mental health support.
When it comes to the future, Meehan is energized by the talent and potential coming through Team USA as well as the leadership under new CEO Kevin Ring. “I think about what we can do in LA, and we’re going to have some huge goals. They’re not expectations—they’re goals,” Meehan said. With a strong core of athletes and staff, he’s excited about what the team can achieve in LA and the progress they’ll make together.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/caseymurphy/2025/11/05/greg-meehans-plan-for-usa-swimming-and-the-road-to-la-2028/
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