SPRINGFIELD — Missouri State University swimming and diving head coach
Dave Collins introduced immediately the addition of Ben Munster to his program’s employees.
Munster will function an assistant coach for the Bears with an anticipated begin date of June 22. He joins Collins, affiliate head coach
Chelsea Dirks-Ham, and fellow new assistant Ryan Lochte on the Mo State aquatics employees after spending the previous 12 months as an assistant coach at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa.
“We are very excited to be adding Ben to the coaching staff,” mentioned Collins. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and will really help balance all that we can provide for our student-athletes. Ben has been a part of successful programs at many levels, and I am confident our group will benefit from his vast experience. There has never been a more exciting time to be on the pool deck at Missouri State!”
While at St. Ambrose, Munster’s males’s workforce completed eighth and the ladies’s program completed thirteenth on the 2026 NAIA National Championship on the heels of twin convention championships.
Prior to that, he helped information Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Ill., to back-to-back ladies sectional championships and a top-10 end on the 2024 IHSA State Championship meet. During his two-year stint at Fenwick (2023-25), he helped mentor All-America performances in each the 200-medley and 400-freestyle relays.
“I am excited to join the coaching staff at Missouri State and am incredibly grateful to coaches
Dave Collins and
Chelsea Dirks-Ham for this opportunity,” mentioned Munster. “I am eager to build upon the tradition of academic and athletic excellence. The future is very bright here, and I look forward to putting in the work alongside the athletes, coaches, and athletic department leadership to earn the next level of success.”
“I also want to thank coach Rob (Ski) Miecznikowski and Athletic Director Mike Holmes at St. Ambrose for their incredible support and the opportunity to be part of that great program.”
Munster has accrued practically 10 years of expertise working with USA Swimming Clubs and has volunteered or labored swim camps for Texas A&M, Georgia and Arizona, along with competing at Virginia Tech from 2009-13. He additionally served as a volunteer assistant at Virginia Tech in 2013-14.
His rent is contingent upon formal approval by the Missouri State University Board of Governors at its subsequent scheduled assembly.
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