In just two full years on the job, Head Swimming Coach Greg Rhodenbaugh has transformed the Tigers into a burgeoning national power. The success of the program, which steadily improved since the Mizzou Aquatic Center opened in 2005, should continue to grow in Rhodenbaugh's third season and first in the Southeastern Conference.
In 2011-12, Rhodenbaugh added eight incoming freshmen, three of which were ranked in CollegeSwimming.com's top 75, to Mizzou's already impressive roster. The infusion of experienced underclassmen and exceptionally talented and eager underclassmen was a recipe for success.
In late February, the Tigers hosted the Big 12 Championships and gave the hometown crowd plenty to cheer about. Sophomore Diver David Bonuchi won the 3-meter dive to claim Mizzou's first-ever men's Big 12 diving title, beating defending champion Drew Livingston. The Columbia, Mo., native also posted second-place finishes on the 1-meter and platform competitions. In the pool, Mizzou had three second place finishers (Darragh in the 200 butterfly, Shnaider in the 400 IM and Kozlovskij in the 100 breaststroke) and claimed second in the 200 freestyle relay.
The men upped their game at the American Short Course Championships in early March. Nine Tigers combined to set six team records over the weekend. The final night was possibly one of the best ever in the University's swimming history, as Mizzou set or re-set five team records during that session. Freshman Eegan Groome qualified for the NCAA Championships, while three other Tigers and the 200 medley relay team narrowly missed earning a berth.
At the NCAA Championships later in March, the country took notice of Mizzou's dramatic improvement. The men posted a 19th-place finish, Mizzou's best ever. Sophomore diver David Bonuchi was the star of the meet, as the Columbia, Mo., native finished second on the platform, fourth on the 3-meter and sixth on the 1-meter dives. Combined with his honors a year ago, Bonuchi stands as a five-time All-American after just two season in black and gold.
On May, 5, 2010, the next chapter of Missouri men's and women's swimming and diving began when highly-touted Arizona assistant Greg Rhodenbaugh was introduced as the head coach of the Missouri Tigers. Regarded as one of the top swimming assistants in the country during his stay with the Wildcats, Rhodenbaugh became the newest head coach of the Tigers, bringing with him years of coaching NCAA and Olympic champions.
Rhodenbaugh spent 11 years as an assistant under legendary swimming coach Frank Busch at Arizona, where he has been the primary coach for the middle distance, stroke and individual medley events. During his tenure as a Wildcat, Rhodenbaugh was a part of the 2008 men's and women's national championship teams, and coached many Olympic swimmers, including two-time gold medalist Amanda Beard, Ryan Berube, Ricardo Prado and Lars Frolander. He was a member of the U.S. Swimming National Team staff and traveled with the U.S. National Junior Team to Barcelona in 2000 as a staff member.
In 1988-89, Rhodenbaugh earned his first head coaching gig at his alma mater of Southern Methodist, where he also swam and was a five-time All-American during a senior year where the Mustangs finished fifth at the 1984 national championships. After being an assistant for four years, Rhodenbaugh became the interim
coach in 1988 where he was named the Southwest Conference's Co-Coach of the Year.
Rhodenbaugh is the fifth member of a lineage of successful swimmers in his family, encompassing his seven other brothers and sisters who have gone on to compete on the national and world levels, hold numerous state and collegiate records, and participate at the Olympic level as his younger sister Kim competed in the 1984 Olympics in the 200 breast stroke.
Some of the accolades that Rhodenbaugh has achieved as an athlete include a conference championship, U.S. Nationals championship, and being named SMU's team captain in 1984. He still continues to swim in masters competitions, as he has four Master's Nationals individual championships and was a world record holder in 1993, 1994 and as recently as 2007. As a youngster, Rhodenbaugh swam for Busch as a member of the Cincinnati Marlins Swim Club.
Rhodenbaugh and his wife, Lisa, have eight children.
