Friday, August 6, 2021
Margo Geer Thrives in Coaching Scene After Decorated National Team Career
Margo Geer is excited for what’s next.
The longtime U.S. National Team member retired from competitive swimming in February to focus on her blossoming coaching career. After balancing her professional swimming career with volunteer assistant roles at Ohio State University and the University of Alabama the past five years, Geer became Alabama’s head swimming coach in August.
“I’m definitely humbled by them extending of that offer,” Geer said. “I don’t underestimate the challenge it presents, but at the same time, I’m just verpy excited. It means a lot to me. To be able to have the opportunity to do the exact thing that I enjoy and that I envisioned myself doing maybe down the road, it just came a little earlier than I probably could have anticipated.”
She’ll take over two high-quality teams.
The Crimson Tide finished fifth at the NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships and 15th at the NCAA Division I Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships.
Her top swimmers include Rhyan White, who was a finalist for Team USA in the 100 and 200 backstroke at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and U.S. National Teamer Kensey McMahon, who finished 10th in the 400 freestyle, ninth in the 800 freestyle and eighth in the 1500 freestyle at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming.
Coaching runs in Geer’s blood. Her father coached football and her mother coached volleyball.
Her background swimming and coaching under some top coaches will help her.
Geer swam at the University of Arizona for Frank Busch, USA Swimming’s former National Team Director, and for David Marsh while competing for the International Swim League’s Los Angeles Current. She also worked for Bill Dorenkott, who led Ohio State’s women’s team to a Big Ten championship, and Coley Stickels, whose athletes broke 23 school records at Alabama.
“As soon as I took on this job, Bill Dorenkott at Ohio State, he messaged me and said, ‘Being a head coach, you’re much, much more than just a coach. You’re a leader. It’s about leading the program,’” Geer says. “That’s the position that I definitely embrace. I want that sort of thing. I want to be able to lead a group of younger people to do things and put them in the position to do anything and everything they want to do at the college level, whether it’s performance or things they want to do outside of swimming.”
Geer had lengthy and successful career specializing in the 50 and 100 freestyle—she was a 27-time All-American at Arizona and won five medals at the 2019 Pan American Games—that will help her excel in her new role, for which she’ll coach the Crimson Tide’s sprint freestylers. Her experience competing at the national and international level will be a resource for them.
Although she isn’t competing anymore, Geer hasn’t stopped swimming. She jumps in the water occasionally to experiment with drills, sets or circuits she’s been thinking about before having her swimmers do them. These swims, she said, helps with her creativity as a coach.
Geer just can’t leave the sport after 23 years in it.
“When I think of swimming, I think of love,” she said. “It’s just something I love to do, and I love to share it with so many different people. That sort of connection, it just doesn’t go away.”
The longtime U.S. National Team member retired from competitive swimming in February to focus on her blossoming coaching career. After balancing her professional swimming career with volunteer assistant roles at Ohio State University and the University of Alabama the past five years, Geer became Alabama’s head swimming coach in August.
“I’m definitely humbled by them extending of that offer,” Geer said. “I don’t underestimate the challenge it presents, but at the same time, I’m just verpy excited. It means a lot to me. To be able to have the opportunity to do the exact thing that I enjoy and that I envisioned myself doing maybe down the road, it just came a little earlier than I probably could have anticipated.”
She’ll take over two high-quality teams.
The Crimson Tide finished fifth at the NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships and 15th at the NCAA Division I Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships.
Her top swimmers include Rhyan White, who was a finalist for Team USA in the 100 and 200 backstroke at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and U.S. National Teamer Kensey McMahon, who finished 10th in the 400 freestyle, ninth in the 800 freestyle and eighth in the 1500 freestyle at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming.
Coaching runs in Geer’s blood. Her father coached football and her mother coached volleyball.
Her background swimming and coaching under some top coaches will help her.
Geer swam at the University of Arizona for Frank Busch, USA Swimming’s former National Team Director, and for David Marsh while competing for the International Swim League’s Los Angeles Current. She also worked for Bill Dorenkott, who led Ohio State’s women’s team to a Big Ten championship, and Coley Stickels, whose athletes broke 23 school records at Alabama.
“As soon as I took on this job, Bill Dorenkott at Ohio State, he messaged me and said, ‘Being a head coach, you’re much, much more than just a coach. You’re a leader. It’s about leading the program,’” Geer says. “That’s the position that I definitely embrace. I want that sort of thing. I want to be able to lead a group of younger people to do things and put them in the position to do anything and everything they want to do at the college level, whether it’s performance or things they want to do outside of swimming.”
Geer had lengthy and successful career specializing in the 50 and 100 freestyle—she was a 27-time All-American at Arizona and won five medals at the 2019 Pan American Games—that will help her excel in her new role, for which she’ll coach the Crimson Tide’s sprint freestylers. Her experience competing at the national and international level will be a resource for them.
Although she isn’t competing anymore, Geer hasn’t stopped swimming. She jumps in the water occasionally to experiment with drills, sets or circuits she’s been thinking about before having her swimmers do them. These swims, she said, helps with her creativity as a coach.
Geer just can’t leave the sport after 23 years in it.
“When I think of swimming, I think of love,” she said. “It’s just something I love to do, and I love to share it with so many different people. That sort of connection, it just doesn’t go away.”