American swimmer Michael Andrew has revealed that for the first time in his competitive swimming career, he will no longer train primarily with his father Peter Andrew as coach in the new quad.
On the latest episode of The Social Kick podcast, Andrew, 25, says that he knows who he’s going to train with but can’t reveal that yet – he’s waiting for some final approvals – and is currently training mostly by himself without a coach.
Peter Andrew has coached Michael since he was an age grouper in Aberdeen, South Dakota, where Peter was the coach of the Aberdeen Aquaholics, where the nuggets of the pair’s now-famous USRPT approach to training first developed while running continuous relay practices with young age groupers.
The family next moved to Lawrence, Kansas, where a two-lane pool that Peter built on the family’s property served as Andrew’s training ground until 2018. They then moved to Southern California, where they trained together out of various pools.
The two have become an iconic pair in swimming. While not the only parent-child coaching pair at the elite level of the sport, they had a rare combination where they were mostly training 1-on-1 or in small groups, and where Michael stayed with his dad instead of entering the NCAA system (ala Erin Gemmell).
Michael Andrew more recently posted on his social media accounts about moving to Huntington Beach, California, and now he has confirmed that he will no longer be training with his dad as his coach.
“I, over the couple of weeks post Trials, realized that I needed to do something different to get back to where I once was. My desire to change that didn’t come out of thinking my dad is not a good enough coach or that my dad is not capable of it, because we’ve achieved some pretty astronomical things together, which is really exciting, and something that…we will always have that platform and he’ll always be an incredible coach. But we now open up the avenue for both of us to learn in some different capacities.”
Among the USA Swimming Club Excellence program squads nearby Huntington Beach are Golden West Aquatics, Irvine Novaquatics, and SOCAL Aquatics Association. The Swim Team, which is attempting to reform a pro group around coach Brett Hawke after the resignation of Mark Schubert, is also not far away.
He says that he and his father still work together in clinics and as co-owners of the MA Swim Academy and in outreach for the USRPT programming. Michael says that he has anxiety about people perceiving that this move is him rejecting his family and USRPT, but that his father supports his decision.
He says that he’s most excited about the opportunities to lift consistently and train in a group of pros that are “at his level” and “pushing him day in and day out.”
Since becoming the youngest American to turn pro in swimming at age 13 in 2013, Andrew has had a storied career including one of the most-prolific age group record-setting runs the sport has ever seen, breaking records of behemoths of the sport like Michael Phelps.
Andrew’s career has included setting a World Record and winning Olympic gold as the breaststroke leg of the American men’s 400 medley relay at the Tokyo Olympics, 7 World Championship medals in long course, another 11 in short course, 4 World Junior Championship gold medals, and almost 100 medals on the Swimming World Cup tour. His 58.14 in the 100 breaststroke is the current American Record in the event.
His dad also served as the head coach, and his mom as the General Manager, of the New York Breakers team of the International Swimming League.
Michael Andrew didn’t qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Team. At the U.S. Trials, he finished 5th in the 50 free (21.81), 8th in the 100 breast (1:00.11 after a semis 59.65), and 16th in the 100 fly (52.98). All times were significantly slower than his bests.
In the clip, Andrew also says that he will race in the World Aquatics World Cup Series in the fall.
