Six-time Olympic gold medal winner and decorated U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte is launching a comeback story after multiple scandals ruined his career and reputation.
Lochte, who has stayed out of the spotlight in recent years, will join the coaching staff of the Missouri State swim program, according to his personal Instagram.
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Lochte will work as an assistant coach under head coach Dave Collins, which will begin later this summer after his contract is officially approved by the university’s board of governors in June.
According to his contract, obtained by Front Office Sports, Lochte will earn an estimated $30,000 and will be eligible for bonuses, which include $750 for a Missouri Valley Conference men’s and women’s championship or co-championship.
There’s a $500 bonus for each NCAA Championship individual qualifier and $500 for each relay team that qualifies for the NCAA Championship, according to the outlet.
Lochte’s contract value breaks down to $34.10 an hour, which is in line with what the other assistant coaches at the program have made.
Ryan Lochte will earn $34.10 an hour — roughly $30,000 annually — as a Missouri State University assistant coach.
His contract also includes bonuses:
• $750 for men’s and women’s MVC title
• $500 for each NCAA individual or relay qualifier— Front Office Sports (@FOS) May 11, 2026
Collins was elated at the opportunity for the next generation to learn under Lochte, calling it “very” exciting to add Lochte, a 12-time medalist at the Olympics, to the coaching staff and Lochte said the coaching role would be “something I take seriously.”
“It’s about more than times and results,” Lochte said.
“It’s about helping young men and women build discipline, resilience and confidence that will carry them far beyond the pool. 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.”
Despite his accomplishments in the pool, Lochte’s reputation was stained in the later part of his career.
He was involved in a scandal during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where he falsely claimed that he and three other members of the American swim team had been robbed at gunpoint, only for it to later come out that the group had vandalized a gas station bathroom.
The swimmer was suspended for 10 months by USA Swimming over the incident.
He was suspended for 14 months two years later after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency found that Lochte had received an IV infusion of vitamins of more than 100mL during a 12-hour period without the proper exception needed from the agency.
He and his girlfriend, Molly Gillihan, have also been embroiled in a longtime social media-fueled feud with Lochte’s ex-wife, Kayla Rae Reid.
According to E! News, the former couple accumulated over $270,000 in debt amid their divorce.
Their debt includes nearly $100,000 in unpaid taxes to the IRS, over $167,000 in medical liens, and unpaid HOA fees, leading to potential foreclosure on their Florida home.