Jeff Kostoff Retires From Coaching After Years at Minnesota, Stanford, Indiana, Maryland
After four years with the University of Minnesota, Jeff Kostoff has retired from coaching. The University of Minnesota announced the associate head coach’s departure from the program Friday after he had been with the program since the 2019-20 season.
“Working with the Gophers for these four years has been a tremendous honor,” Kostoff said, according to a press release from Minnesota. “I’m forever grateful for all of the student-athletes, fellow coaches, and everyone else who made my time at the ‘U’ so wonderful. This sport has provided me countless memories that I’ll never forget, and I’ll carry them with me into my next chapter.”
Kostoff worked primarily with distance swimmers and 400 IM specialists throughout his career in the college ranks. Minnesota swimming and diving hd seven NCAA championships, 14 Big Ten titles and 24 All-Americans during Kostoff’s four years with the team. Before arriving in Minneapolis, Kostoff was the assistant coach of the Stanford men’s team for three years, where he was the primary coach for accomplished swimmers Abrahm DeVine, Grant Shoults, True Sweetser and Liam Egan, and he was part of the Indiana University staff prior to that. Kostoff also coached at the University of Maryland in the 1990s.
During his own time as a competitive swimmer, Kostoff swam at Stanford and qualified for two Olympic teams in 1984 and 1988, topping out at sixth in the 400 IM in 1984. He also won gold and silver medals at the 1983 Pan American Games. Kostoff was the American-record holder in the 1650-yard free for more than a decade, and he held the national high school record in the 500 free for 30 years, from 1983 until 2013.
Members of the Minnesota swimming program spoke highly of Kostoff’s impact on the program as a coach for the past four years.
“Jeff is a wonderful person and coach. While he earned icon status as a swimmer in our sport, I would argue he has meant more to this sport as a coach,” head coach Kelly Kremer said in the school’s press release. “Jeff is kind and caring, and he gave his all for our student athletes. He has touched countless lives. We are going to miss him dearly.”
From Minnesota senior Chris Nagy: “Jeff is one of the most caring, funny, and knowledgeable people you could ever meet. I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to swim for him and learn from him for the past three years… Jeff is one of the main reasons that I decided to come to Minnesota in the first place, and I will forever be grateful that I did. He created an amazingly welcoming and hardworking training environment that made you want to come to practice every day. I’ll never forget the memories I made with Jeff, and I only wish him the best going forward.”
From Big Ten champion Megan van Berkom: “Jeff has been an awesome coach and mentor for me. I have learned so much from him and am very grateful for the time I was able to spend training and learning from his expertise in swimming… I will also miss all the home cooked meals, laughter and fun times we have had together with our training group. I wish him all the best in the future.”