“Todd DeSorbo: Pioneering a New Era of Dominance for Virginia Women’s Swim Team”

American Coach of the Year: Todd DeSorbo Keeps Guiding Virginia Women on Powerful Streak

He has been the central figure behind the nation’s most formidable collegiate program, with the University of Virginia having already clinched four straight NCAA titles in women’s swimming and diving. The Cavaliers are poised to secure a fifth title in 2025, which would equal the record held by the Stanford teams of the 1990s for the most consecutive wins in history. He mentored four athletes onto the U.S. Olympic squad prior to leading American women to an exceptional showing in Paris, securing medals in all but three individual events.

Todd DeSorbo has only recently been acknowledged among the country’s premier swim coaches, currently in his eighth season at Virginia following six years as an assistant at NC State. Nevertheless, his achievements during this period have proven remarkably impressive. In 2024, Gretchen Walsh and Kate Douglass stood out, marking their rise to the ranks of the world’s top swimmers.

Walsh was undeniably the standout competitor at the NCAA Championships, annihilating the previous record times in the 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly, and 100 freestyle after establishing a new benchmark in the 100 backstroke at the ACC Championships. In long course events, Walsh shattered the world record in the 100 fly before qualifying for her inaugural Olympic team and winning four medals, two of which were gold, in Paris. She then delivered a groundbreaking performance at the Short Course World Championships, taking home seven gold medals and setting nine individual world records.

Kate Douglass — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Douglass earned her first gold medal at the Olympics in the 200 breaststroke amidst a four-medal haul in Paris, subsequently establishing short course world records in both the 200 breast and the 200 IM. Douglass possesses remarkable versatility, also excelling in the sprint freestyle events, and DeSorbo’s strategies have been instrumental in facilitating her adaptability. Notably, he permitted and even urged Douglass to take a respite from the 200 IM in 2022, recognizing that stepping away from this event would rejuvenate her and yield extraordinary results upon her return.

Also among the Olympic qualifiers from Virginia were Alex Walsh and Emma Weber. The older Walsh sibling additionally secured three individual titles at the NCAA Championships and was on the verge of clinching her second consecutive Olympic medal in the 200 IM but faced disqualification. Weber emerged as the unexpected No. 2 qualifier in the 100 breast at the U.S. Olympic Trials and won gold as a relay prelims swimmer in Paris.

At the collegiate level, Virginia claimed at least four relay victories at the NCAA Championships for the third consecutive year, with the Walsh sisters, Jasmine Nocentini, Ella Nelson, Aimee Canny, Cavan Gormsen, and Tess Howley all achieving individual top-five finishes, while Noah Nichols accomplished the same in the men’s competition. In addition to Virginia’s Olympians, Claire Curzan and Jack Aikins narrowly missed qualifying for Paris, finishing third at Trials by minuscule margins, while Nichols, Howley, Nelson, and Anna Keating all progressed to the finals.

The outlook appears promising for the Cavaliers as well, with Curzan, two-time Olympian Katie Grimes, and talented newcomers Leah Hayes and Anna Moesch joining the women’s roster this year, while Olympian Thomas Heilman and National High School Swimmer of the Year Maximus Williamson are set to shine for the men’s team starting in the 2025-26 season.

Given the outcomes produced by previous star recruits under DeSorbo and his team, we anticipate impressive performances from these swimmers and others throughout their careers with the Cavaliers, with additional national championships and accolades undoubtedly on the horizon.