USA Swimming Announces Chrissi Rawak As New President & CEO – SwimSwam

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Rawak, the former Director of Athletics at the University of Delaware, takes over the role previously held by Tim Hinchey from 2017 until 2024. Stock photo via Jack Spitser/Spitser Photography Rawak, the former Director of Athletics at the University of Delaware, takes over the role previously held by Tim Hinchey from 2017 until 2024.Luke Hobson led the relay off in a 1:30.45 and stays in the record books in the event as he led off in a 1:29.43 in 2023. Abbas Karimi and Phoebe Bacon are also semifinalists for the prestigious award that will be announced April 15 in New York City. Wilcox and Buttigieg Bring Biotech, Science, Financial, Hospitality and Real Estate Expertise to Help Grow Swim Across America’s Impact and Mission.After 17 year-old Tehani Kealoha tragically drowned at a swim meet, her parents are filing a lawsuit for gross negligenceLedecky added to her resume by clocking the 16th fastest swim ever in the 1500 free, giving her the top 21 performances of all-time.Wooten dropped more than 30 seconds off his personal best time in the 1650 free to climb to #12 all-time in the boys’ 13-14 age group.NC State has been the dominant team in the ACC for the last decade, but NCAA powerhouse Cal arrives with a deep team after college conference realignments.February 19th, 2025 Industry, National, NewsUSA Swimming has named Chrissi Rawak, the current Director of Athletics at the University of Delaware, as its new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).Rawak, a former collegiate swimmer at the University of Michigan, takes over for the former CEO, Tim Hinchey, who USA Swimming moved on from last August.Rawak joins USA Swimming after serving as the Director of Athletics at Delaware for nearly nine years, having been hired to the role in May 2016. She was the first woman to serve as Director of Athletics at Delaware and was recognized as the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics’ Athletic Director of the Year in 2024.A native of Newton, Pa., Rawak grew up competing for Germantown Academy in Fort Washington and was a member of the school’s 1987 national championship team.Growing up training under Germantown coach Dick Shoulberg, Rawak’s primary event focuses were the 1500/1650 free, 200 back and 400 IM. “Everyone was a distance swimmer” training under Shoulberg, Rawak told SwimSwam on Wednesday.She then went to the University of Michigan, where she was a member of the women’s swim team from 1988 until 1992 before serving as an assistant coach for the women’s team under Jim Richardson from 1992 until 1997. Rawak also oversaw the Wolverine Swim Camp during her coaching tenure.She spoke on how her involvement with the sport both as an athlete and coach helped shape who she is today.“I would tell you I am who I am because of the sport of swimming,” Rawak said. “The discipline, the focus, the goal orientation, the perseverance is all very real.“I would also tell you that my experience coaching was one of the most formative career experiences I’ve had. I was really lucky to do it, honestly at a young age, coming out of college, at 22, becoming the assistant coach at Michigan was certainly a privilege and an honor.“And what I learned through that on how you build teams, how you build programs, how you really develop young people, and being able to experience all of that at a place like Michigan. Not just because it was my alma mater, but it was a place of excellence. It still is. But coming there and being able to swim for Jim Richardson and Jon Urbanchek, and coach with them as well, was just incredibly formative and really taught me a lot about how you lead and build teams. Whether I was in the athletics world or not, people are people, and working with them and being collaborative and bringing out the best in them.“It’s bigger than you. It’s all bigger than you, and it needs to be.“I always have felt like I’m standing on the shoulders of everybody that came before me, and it’s a responsibility that I have and one that I’m incredibly excited about and proud of.”Rawak’s husband, Glenn, was a member of the University of Michigan men’s gymnastics team from 1988 to 1992.After her five-year coaching stint at Michigan, Rawak worked as the Director of Personnel and Business Resources in the Office of Alumni Relations and Development at Northwestern University from 1997 until 2003 while earning a master’s degree in communication.She then returned to the University of Michigan, first spending seven years in the school’s Office of University Development as the assistant vice president of talent management and development operations.In 2011, she transitioned into her role as Michigan’s executive senior associate athletic director, overseeing external relations and strategic initiatives, a position she held until 2016.“Chrissi brings a proven track record of leading organizations and building winning teams,” said Chris Brearton, Chair of the USA Swimming Board of Directors. “She has first-hand experience with our sport, both as a successful athlete and a coach. Her vision will help write the next chapter of American swimming excellence.”In May 2016, Rawak was announced as the new Director of Athletics at Delaware.Although she hasn’t been directly involved with swimming since the late 1990s, she said she’s kept close tabs on the sport over the years, and noted how Delaware had its first men’s NCAA qualifier in program history last year in Toni Sabev.“Certainly swimming is part of my DNA,” she said. “I’ve followed it since I was 10 years old. I certainly have followed it quite a bit, very committed to the sport.“I’m also really proud of what we’ve been able to do at Delaware. When I got here we were not even close to being relevant, and last year we were able to send our first NCAA qualifier in the history of the program to the men’s meet, so have certainly followed it as you can certainly imagine as a swimming fan and somebody who loves the sport and has connections.”In October, USA Swimming approved the creation of a nine-member CEO Search Task Force to find Hinchey’s replacement. The Task Force was led by Katy Arris-Wilson, who swam collegiately for the University of Texas for the same four years that Rawak was at Michigan (1988-92).Hinchey served as President and CEO of USA Swimming for more than seven years, beginning in 2017. His departure came on the heels of the American team having a historically low medal tally at the Paris Olympics, particularly in terms of gold medals.The American team won eight gold and 28 total swimming medals at the 2024 Olympics, with the gold medal tally marking their lowest since 1956. Their total medal tally was their lowest since 2004 (also 28).Rawak’s salary at Delaware is currently listed at $648,383 for the fiscal year ending June 2023. She also earned over $55,0682 in bonuses for $704,065 in earnings.While we don’t know what her compensation will be at USA Swimming, Hinchey notably made $962,555 in 2023 with a base salary of $690,205.The USA Swimming Search Committee’s projected range for the CEO’s base salary was $500,000-$600,000. Given that Rawak made more than that at Delaware, her compensation at USA Swimming will likely be higher than the projected range.SwimSwam contacted USA Swimming for the 2024 CEO compensation salary base and bonus. USA Swimming must legally disclose those details by November 2025.Shana Ferguson, who has served as the interim CEO since Hinchey’s departure in late August, will continue in her role as Chief Operating Officer (COO) with USA Swimming. She will also remain the interim CEO until Rawak’s official starting date.Rawak said she plans on living in Colorado Springs, and though the exact timeline of her arrival at USA Swimming HQ is currently unknown, plans will be ironed out in the coming days.She noted that hiring a new National Team Managing Director is her initial priority, with USA Swimming having moved on from former Director Lindsay Mintenko last summer around the same time Hinchey departed.Rawak also spoke about her general outlook on her role with USA Swimming and the main priorities, including performance in the pool and growing the sport.“The role is to continue to grow, elevate the sport of swimming across the country. And in many ways, even across the world. How do we influence the ecosystem of swimming and continue to share the wonderful things about the sport. And that’s certainly on the Olympic level, it’s continuing to be exceptional there. We’ve got the LA Olympics coming up here, and being dominant there, and continuing to excel is critically important. As it relates to initial priorities, first is obviously the National Team Managing Director hire is critically, critically important.She also spoke on the importance of “listening and learning,” as connecting with coaches, athletes, fans and parents is of paramount importance early in her tenure.“Taking the time and being really intentional and thoughtful about those conversations are going to be really important the first, I would say, 3-6 months, as we understand what is that next moment for us. What are we doing as we move forward, particularly in a transformational moment of sport.”ΔΔI’m as critical of USAS as anyone, but this seems like a great hire. Hopefully, Chrissi has the people and leadership skills to hold people accountable and get things done for all levels of the organization.So the CEO of both USA Swimming and US Masters Swimming swam at Michigan. There was definitely something in the water there during that era. Whether this turns out to be a great hire or not, the only people who can complain about this hire at this time are people just looking for a reason to complain. If they had hired the best age group coach in the world, that person wouldn’t have had enough elite experience, or enough experience running a large organization. No one could have gotten hired without getting hate in SwimSwam.I do think it’s a positive hire. I’m hoping she can reverse the momentum of the sport.I also don’t blame people who are cynical and distrustful. She’s being paid a lot of money, and USA Swimming’s culture problems have survived multiple CEOs.USA Swimming needs to do the legwork to repair relationships with their stakeholders. While I don’t think it’s fair to destroy the new CEO without giving her a chance, I also don’t think it’s fair for USA Swimming to expect everyone to shout praises from the mountain tops after what the organization has put everyone through.One of the benefits of hiring an AD is that the with fallout from House and other sure-to-come disruptions to collegiate sport it may be helpful to have someone from the inside who knows how Olympic sports are endangered at the collegiate level.So only ADs know that Olympic sports are endangered?USA Swimming is paying a lot of money for someone that has no grass roots club experience. I think her job will be to keep her job for as long as possible.Aren’t you just a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.Always someone bitching about someone. Can’t be a single topic where some “expert” doesn’t have something stupid to sayShe swam at Michigan… has to have grassroots club experience somewhere, at least as an athlete.When the article said that she swam for Coach Shoulberg, I LOL when it said she was a distance swimmer. She has a great resume and being a College AD will give her the experience to handle this jobA former Coach who then became a successful athletic director is a nice resume for this position. Let’s get on it for ’28, and then let’s get ready to put our foot down under in Brisbane ’32.I wish her well. But it strikes me as a woke hire of someone without WA experience. Good luck to all affected.Another guy who can’t really think of anything specific to be mad about here, but just can’t miss out on the opportunity to hate on USA Swimming.How to say you’re a loser white male without actually saying you’re a loser white male.“Woke” just means thing I don’t understand or like for conservative losersAre her credentials for the position more or less than Tim Hinchey’s? Was his hire woke? Or is this just woke because she’s a woman?I don’t know anything about her, I wish for her success. But hope? Somehow I feel like it will be the same detached USA swimming and her just another cog.She’s worked at one of biggest athletic department in the country in collegiate sports, then was AD of the year in her new position. And understands a range of sports, not just internal to swimming. I don’t know how much better a resume you can expect that will set someone up for success in this position.Sounds like you just wanna be mad, but don’t know what to be mad about.James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism.

Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …Read More »James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism.

Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …More from James SutherlandSee AllSubscribe to our newsletter and receive our latest updates!

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