Todd DeSorbo, Anthony Nesty Named Head Coaches for 2024 U.S. Olympic Team

Todd DeSorbo -- Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Todd DeSorbo, Anthony Nesty Named Head Coaches for 2024 U.S. Olympic Team

USA Swimming has announced the coaches tasked with guiding the Stars and Stripes at next summer’s Paris Olympics. University of Virginia head coach Todd DeSorbo and University of Florida head coach Anthony Nesty have been two of the country’s most successful coaches in recent years, with both men making their debuts on an American Olympic staff two years ago in Tokyo, and now they will be at the helm in 2024, with DeSorbo leading the women’s team and Nesty the men’s.

DeSorbo is currently beginning his seventh season leading the Virginia Cavaliers program, and his women’s squad has captured three consecutive NCAA team titles (and it could be four if not for the cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Championships). DeSorbo’s staff placed four swimmers onto the Tokyo Olympic team, with Alex Walsh and Kate Douglass winning individual medals while Paige Madden and Catie DeLoof were relay honorees. Since then, Walsh and Douglass have each won individual world titles while Gretchen Walsh, Alex’s younger sister, is now among the country’s top performers. Maxine Parker made it four Cavaliers qualifying for this summer’s World Championships.

Nesty, meanwhile, guided Bobby Finke to Olympic gold in the 800 and 1500 freestyle in Tokyo, and he led Kieran Smith to Olympic bronze in the 400 free. Since then, two of swimming’s most prominent names, Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel, have joined Nesty’s group, as have fellow Tokyo Olympians Jake Mitchell, Emma Weyant and Bella Sims, all of which set up Nesty as one of the prime candidates for this Olympic job. Nesty’s Florida teams placed third at the NCAA Men’s Championships in 2021 and 2022 before falling to sixth in an extremely tight finish (teams No. 3 through 6 all finished within 18 points).

Previously, DeSorbo and Nesty were the head coaches for the U.S. team at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest, a group which won a record total of 45 medals. This year, Nesty was an assistant U.S. coach at Worlds while DeSorbo sat out the trip, although Virginia associate head coach Blaire (Bachmann) Anderson joined the staff as an assistant.

“I am thrilled Coaches DeSorbo and Nesty will be joining us in Paris and am looking forward to the experience and leadership they will bring to the Games,” USA Swimming National Team Managing Director Lindsay Mintenko said in a press release.

The team led by DeSorbo and Nesty will be charged with producing an improved performance at the Paris Games after a bumpy effort at this year’s Worlds in Fukuoka left the United States with just seven gold medals, well behind Australia’s assertive 13-gold performance, and the total was merely four entering the final day. However, the Americans did reach the medal podium on 38 occasions, opening the door for a possible quick rebound.

USA Swimming’s announcement of DeSorbo and Nesty’s appointments pointed out that Nesty was the first black swimmer ever to win Olympic gold when he bested Matt Biondi in the 100 butterfly at the 1988 Games in Seoul. He was also the first-ever Olympic medalist for his native Suriname, and he remains the only athlete representing Suriname to reach the podium.

“I’m excited to be the men’s head Olympic coach in Paris,” Nesty said, according to USA Swimming. “Todd and I look forward to coaching these athletes to the best of their abilities in Paris next summer.”

Per USA Swimming, DeSorbo added, “I’m excited to be leading Team USA next summer in Paris… I’m looking forward to working with Anthony and the rest of the USA Swimming staff to help the athletes perform at the highest level in Paris.”

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