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A late Thursday announcement from the USA Swimming Board of Directors included:
● “USA Swimming Board of Directors today announces that Chief Executive Officer and President Tim Hinchey will be leaving USA Swimming to pursue other opportunities.”
● “The Board is pleased to announce that Shana Ferguson, USA Swimming’s COO, has been unanimously appointed to the role of interim CEO. Shana stated: ‘I am excited and appreciate the Board’s confidence in my assuming this role and stand ready to work with the Board and our membership to continue to drive our sport forward.’”
● “The Board will engage with the membership and promptly form a search committee to identify the individual to lead USA Swimming to LA 2028 and beyond. The Board will anchor the search on the north star of ensuring the success of the sport of swimming in the U.S. from the grassroots to the Olympic level.”
Hinchey had been under pressure, especially from two coaching groups, with letters sent to the USA Swimming Board by the American Swimming Coaches Association and the USA Swimming Coaches Advisory Council. The 13 August ASCA letter included:
“The American Swimming Coaches Association is deeply concerned with current USA Swimming membership trends, our perceived weaker performance on the world stage, and significant coach feedback expressing dissatisfaction with our national governing body. We see the next four years being some of the most important in our sports history domestically.”
The USA Swimming Coaches Advisory Council letter to the Board noted six concerns, including “Membership and retention rates continue to decline, and an increasing number of swimmers are leaving USA Swimming for AAU” and a “General distrust toward USA Swimming leadership.”
USA Swimming issued an open letter to the membership over the last weekend, adding some details to correct “inaccuracies,” but not answering several of the core concerns.
Hinchey joined USA Swimming in July 2017, after six highly-successful years as president of Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids franchise. He replaced Chuck Wielgus, who died in April 2017 after becoming USA Swimming’s Executive Director in 1997.
Ferguson was elevated to Chief Operating Officer in late July, from her position as Chief Commercial Officer for five years, leading efforts in sales, sponsorships, marketing, communications, productions and creative.
SwimSwam.com also reported that “Lindsay Mintenko is reportedly planning to resign from her role as National Team Managing Director”; the coaching groups have asked to have a veteran coach be in charge of the national team, as was the case with Frank Busch, in charge from May of 2011 to September of 2017 and previously the coach at the University of Arizona.
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