Trent Richardson enters his second season as the head coach and third overall with the Cleveland State men’s and women’s swimming program.
In Richardson’s first year as the head coach, both teams finished third at the Horizon League Championships. He produced four total individual champions, with two coming from each gender: Jackson Nester (400-yard IM) & Paddy Johnston (200-yard Fly) for the men and Gracie Chelf (50-yard Free) & Giovanna Cappabianca (200-yard Breast) for the women.
The season saw the men go 4-3 in dual meets to go along with five individual podium finishers and two relay podium finishers. For school records, two individuals and one relay set marks. The women went 5-4 in dual meets with six individual podium finishers and four relays reaching the stand. In addition, two women set school records.
Outside the pool, Richardson aided in five Academic All-League honors, including Jackson Nester being named the Horizon League Winter Scholar-Athlete of the Season. Nester also received the prestigious Cecil N. Coleman Medal of Honor Award.
The 2023-24 season, Richardson’s first season on staff with the Green and White, the men’s team finished third and the women’s team fifth. He assisted Jackson Nester to his third straight 400-yard IM championship and Grace Chelf to the 50-yard freestyle.
In the classroom, three men and two women received #HLSD All-Academic recognition. In addition, Brooke Eichel received the Horizon League Sportsmanship Award.
Prior to Cleveland State, Richardson spent four years as the head coach at Loveland Swim Club. In 2022, Richardson led his team to a silver medal in the USA Swimming Club Excellence Program, ranking among the top 100 clubs in the country. The year prior, the club earned its first-ever bronze medal.
At the 2022 USA Winter Junior National Championship, Richardson guided his club to a 15th-place finish, the highest finish in over 20 years. He also coached the men's 200-yard breaststroke junior national champion, Jake Eccleston.
Richardson spent seven years as the pre-senior coach and assistant senior coach at DART Swimming in Northern California. In his time with the club, DART claimed six silver medals, one gold medal, and had 34 long-course records set.
He also worked with USA Swimming Junior National Team member Chenoa Devine and USA Swimming National Team member and National Age Group record holder Luca Urlando.
Richardson started his collegiate coaching career as a volunteer assistant at UC Davis, where the men's team went undefeated and won their first Big West Conference Championship in 2010.
Richardson began his collegiate career at Diablo Valley College before attending UC Davis from 2007-09. Richardson served as a captain for the 2009 men's team and was a member of the 800-yard freestyle relay that won a Big West Conference Championship while setting a conference record time.
Richardson graduated from UC Davis with a bachelor's in sociology.
