Ryan Lochte Bags New Job Which Will Pay Him $34/Hour

Ryan Lochte participated in four Olympics (2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016) and bagged 12 medals including seven golds.

Ryan Lochte Bags New Job Which Will Pay Him $34/Hour

Ryan Lochte (Image via LA Times)

In Short
  • Ryan Lochte has been hired as a swimming assistant at Missouri State University, earning $34/hour.
  • He aims to use his experience to guide young swimmers and support their development.
  • Lochte's contract includes additional incentives based on team success and individual qualifications for championships.

The Missouri State University has hired twelve-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte as a swimming assistant for the men’s and women’s swim team. Lochte, 41, was hired as an assistant to coach Dave Collins and reportedly will be paid $34/hour.

Lochte, who’s the third most decorated swimmer after Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky, suffered a massive downfall after the infamous Lochtegate during the Rio Olympics 2016. He failed to make the United States of America team for the succeeding edition in Tokyo, and his career vanished into thin air. He was later accused of stepping out of his marriage by his ex-wife, Kayla Rae Reid.

After the two split in 2025, Lochte met Molly Gillihan. It was meeting Gillihan that led to Lochte becoming the coach’s assistant for the Bears. Amid their whirlwind romance, the swimmer visited his new girlfriend’s family in Springfield, Missouri, a city he fell in love with almost immediately. In an interview with the New York Post after accepting the position, he explained that Springfield had much more to offer than Gainesville.

On April 1, Missouri State posted a vacancy to which Lochte was quick to respond. He and Gillihan were already planning to move to the city, and the opportunity was perfect for the 41-year-old. Lochte made a call to Dave Collins, and the rest is Missouri State having one of the most prolific and controversial swimming figures in their team for next season.

Lochte isn’t stepping into a coaching role without experience. In the interview, he addressed that he had switched from competition to coaching young swimmers privately some years ago. He also credited training young professionals for helping him in his battle against depression, which he suffered after failing to make the team following the doping suspension. Lochte said in a statement:

I’ve lived the highs and the challenges of this sport, and I want to use that perspective to guide them, support them, and help them reach their full potential in and out of the water.

Dave Collins, who currently heads the swim program in Missouri, also lauded the Olympian. Collins praised Lochte’s work ethic and admitted that “when you have the opportunity to bring in one of the best ever in our sport, you do everything you can to make it happen.” The Missouri Bears are undoubtedly one of the top performers in mid-major swimming programs, with the men winning the conference championships 21 times and the women 18 times.

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Ryan Lochte may get more incentives based on his success rate

According to The Springfield Daily Citizen, Ryan Lochte’s contract states that the swimmer will earn approximately 30,000 USD annually. In addition to his wages, he also stands to earn some additional incentives on the basis of his success he has in Missouri.

Ryan Lochte had to auction his Olympic medals at a point (Image via AOL.com)
Ryan Lochte had to auction his Olympic medals at a point (Image via AOL.com)

The four-time Olympian will receive an additional $750 for a conference or a co-conference team championship. He will earn $500 per individual or relay team that qualifies for the NCAA Championships. The Missouri Bears are the defending conference champions in the men’s category and third place behind Indiana State and Southern Illinois in women’s.

Freshman Kiefer Roemer was the Bears’ lone attendee at the NCAA Championships in late March, swimming in the 100-yard breaststroke. He finished with an impressive time of 52.15, second in his heat and 29th overall. Roemer became only the second freshman to qualify for the NCAA Division I Championships from Missouri.

As for Collins, who has overseen the program since 2010, he earned a base salary of $85,074 for the 2025–26 season, excluding incentives. Associate head coach Chelsea Dirks-Ham received $52,732 in base pay, along with additional incentive-based compensation.

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