IOWA CITY, Iowa – Former Hawkeye assistant coach and recruiting coordinator and head coach of the Iowa Flyers Swim Club (IFLY) Nathan Mundt has been named the seventh head coach in the history of the University of Iowa women’s swimming and diving program. The announcement was made Monday by Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair Gary Barta.
Mundt has more than 15 years of coaching experience, including being the head coach at Western Illinois, where he was voted the 2007 Mid-Continent Conference Women’s Coach of the Year. Mundt coached 33 NCAA All-Americans during his first Hawkeye stint from 2008-16.
“We’re excited to welcome Nathan back to the Iowa coaching family,” said Barta. “He has proven himself as a leader in the swimming community within the state and beyond throughout his career. His history of success and his familiarity with the program make him a perfect fit to lead this program.”
Mundt has served as the IFLY head coach since 2016. Under its Club Excellence Program, USA Swimming recognized IFLY as a Silver Medal Club in 2017, a Bronze Medal Club in 2019 and 2020, and will be recognized as a Gold Medal Club in 2021 for having two 18 & Under athletes qualify for the USA Swimming Olympic Trials.
Mundt and his coaching staff were also named to the 2021 Iowa Swimming, Inc., Senior Coaching Staff of the Year as voted on their coaching peers.
During his time with IFLY, Mundt had two athletes named to USA Swimming’s 18 & Under World Top 100 list. He coached a 2017 U.S. Open champion in the women’s 200-meter butterfly and that same athlete was named to the USA Swimming National Junior Team in 2017.
“I am thrilled to become the head coach of women’s swimming and diving at the University of Iowa. I would like to thank Gary Barta, Barbara Burke, Marcus Wilson, and the entire search committee for granting me this opportunity. I’m excited to lead the program into the future.”
Nathan Mundt
“I am thrilled to become the head coach of women’s swimming and diving at the University of Iowa,” said Mundt. “I would like to thank Gary Barta, Barbara Burke, Marcus Wilson, and the entire search committee for granting me this opportunity. I’m excited to lead the program into the future.”
Before becoming head coach of IFLY, Mundt spent eight years as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Hawkeyes from 2008-16. He helped lead the program to six top 40 finishes (men and women), while coaching 33 All-Americans, 42 NCAA qualifiers and the program set 115 school records.
Mundt recruited and coached Becky Stoughton to a Big Ten title in the 1,650-yard freestyle – the first since 2001 – and All-America honors in the 500 and 1,650 free in 2015. Stoughton was also the first Hawkeye to be named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2012.
Mundt also recruited four international men’s student-athletes who represented the program at the 2016 NCAA Championships in the 400-yard medley relay and assisted in coaching the Big Ten-winning 200 and 400-freestyle relays in 2012. The Iowa men placed fifth at the 2012 Big Ten Championships and had five first-team All-Big Ten honorees.
Mundt joined the Iowa coaching staff after serving as the head men’s and women’s swimming coach at Western Illinois. He coached swimmers to 13 school record-setting marks and six athletes to 12 Summit League individual event championships.
A native of Portage, Indiana, Mundt was a four-year letterwinner and academic all-conference honoree at the University of Tampa while earning a bachelor’s degree in sports management in 2001. He served as a graduate assistant at Valparaiso University from 2003-05 and was named interim head coach for the 2003-04 season. Mundt also earned a master’s degree in sports administration while at Valparaiso.
He and his wife, Erika, have three sons, Nolan, Macklin and Lincoln.
