By Braden Keith on SwimSwam
Chris Collier has been hired as the new head coach of The Woodlands Swim Team (TWST) in suburban Houston. Collier was most recently an assistant coach for 1 season at the University of Alabama after 5 at the University of Wisconsin. Alabama hired a new head coach (Coley Stickels) who brought with him a new staff this offseason.
Collier also coached with the High Performance, Challenge, and Imagination groups at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club when it was home to Michael Phelps.
Collier will assume “responsibilities over all aspects of the TWST program, including club development,” a press release from TWST on Thursday said.
In his career, Collier has worked with athletes who have advanced to numerous national and international competitions. He was the primary distance coach at Wisconsin, where he coached Cierra Runge to runner-up finishes at the Big Ten Championships in the 200, 500, and 1650 freestyles. In his career, eh’s coached athletes who raced at the World Championships, World University Games, Jr. Pan Pacific Championships.
“I am very excited and honored to join The Woodlands Swim Team family,” said Collier. “With so many great team members, volunteers, and coaches I very much look forward to leading TWST into a bright future. My experiences in coaching have taught me not only how to coach but how valuable relationships are to the coaching process. A relationship can make or break a coach and a swimmer, a season and a career, so I look forward to building strong relationships with not only TWST families but the Gulf Swimming Community.”
Collier replaces Kit Raulerson, who was hired as the program’s head coach in 2017.
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