Ryan Murphy reacts as Greg Meehan takes charge as the new director of USA Swimming national team

Modified Apr 12, 2025 01:44 GMT

Swimming - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 9 - Source: Getty — Ryan Murphy[Extreme Right] reacts to Greg Meehan taking charge of the swimming team [Image Source : Getty]

American swimmer Ryan Murphy recently shared his thoughts on Greg Meehan taking charge as the new director of the USA Swimming national team. Meehan is an illustrious coach who has been coaching multiple teams since 1998, when he joined the College of William and Mary in Virginia as an assistant coach.

Meehan led several swimmers to unprecedented glory. He also coached the US national women's swimming team as an assistant coach at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and as the head coach at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Under his tutelage, the female American swimmers won 18 Olympic medals in Tokyo, including three gold medals.

Murphy shared the news on his Instagram story and wrote in the caption:

"Great choice. Congrats @gregmeehan @usaswimming"

Screengrab of Ryan Murphy's congratulatory message for Greg Meehan [Image Source: Ryan Murphy's Instagram]

Meehan is equally excited to join the team. In his press statement, he mentioned:

“I am beyond grateful and extremely motivated to take on this role. My love for the Olympic movement — particularly for USA Swimming — has shaped so much of my life. As we look ahead to hosting the LA 2028 Olympic Games, our success will be a byproduct of the investments we make today through hard work, commitment, collaboration, and enthusiasm. I am honored to help lead this next chapter and inspire the next generation.”

Greg Meehan's first major assignment would be the World Championships scheduled for July and August.

Who is Ryan Murphy?

All about Ryan Murphy, the former world record holder in men's backstroke [Image Source: Getty]

Also known as 'Murph' and 'Murph Man', Ryan Fitzgerald Murphy is an American swimmer who once held the world record in men's backstroke swimming event.

Murphy was born in Chicago on July 2, 1995, though he grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. He had dreamt of competing at the Olympics since he was seven. Murphy graduated from Bolles School in Jacksonville and attended the University of California in Berkeley for higher studies.

Though he missed a chance to debut at the London Olympics in 2012 by a whisker, Ryan Murphy continued to work hard. He made his Olympic debut at the quadrennial event in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, where he won three gold medals, including a world record in the relay event of the men's 4x100m medley split.

Ryan Murphy has won five Olympic gold, two silver, and two bronze medals.

About the author

Animesh Pandey is a seasoned content writer at Sportskeeda with over eight years of experience, having previously worked as an intern for Follow Your Sport before joining SK as a columnist in 2017. A graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing, he also worked at TFI Media Private Limited and contributed as an intern for the movie website Nettv4u.

He has extensively covered events from World Championships to the Olympics, providing insights and analyses that resonate with his audience. His belief in mastering the basics and delivering accurate, relevant, and ethical information through thorough research is reflected in his work.

He was notably invited to the National Sports and Adventure Awards 2018 at Rashtrapati Bhavan after winning a MyGov quiz on Indian Sports, where he engaged with celebrated athletes such as Rahi Sarnobat, Hima Das, Jinson Johnson, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, and Subedar Neeraj Chopra, who also happens to be his favorite Olympian.

Despite being a field hockey enthusiast, Animesh's most cherished Olympic moments include Wayde Van Niekerk's unexpected world record in the 400 meters at Rio and Chopra's historic gold medal in Tokyo.

When not immersed in writing or watching the Olympics, Animesh indulges in his love for movies, embracing quality cinema regardless of the language.

Know More

Edited by Samya Majumdar