EASTON, Pa. - Lafayette Athletics has hired Mike Rinde as the Leopards' swimming and diving head coach. Rinde becomes the 13th head coach in the program's history after briefly serving as the program's interim head coach following the retirement of Jim Dailey in August. Dailey, who coached 32 seasons, will remain connected to the program as a Special Advisor to the head coach.

"We are very excited to announce Mike Rinde as the new head coach for Lafayette swimming and diving," said Lafayette Director of Athletics Sherryta Freeman. "Throughout the candidate review process, Mike's knowledge and passion for the program stood out. He truly cares about our student-athletes and wants to see them to continue their success in the pool and in the classroom. In two seasons, he has developed strong relationships and we're confident that he can take the reins and continue the legacy of excellence in academics and continuous improvement in the pool that has been indicative of our swimming and diving program."

Rinde enters his third year on College Hill after a successful first two seasons. During those two seasons, the Maroon and White broke 39 school records and recorded 160 new entries into the Lafayette All-Time Top 10 performance lists. Beyond that, the men's and women's teams were College Swimming Coaches Athletic Association Team Scholar All-Americans in all four semesters, boasting team GPAs of 3.33 and 3.57 for the men's and women's team respectively, and the teams collectively posted 15 perfect 4.0 GPAs during the spring '26 semester. During both the '25 and '26 season, two divers qualified for NCAA Division I Zone A Diving Championships. "Although they were an amazing two seasons with some splendid results, we can do better and build upon those performances by training better and continuing to receive commitments from talented prospects," said Rinde.

"I would like to thank Sherryta, the entire leadership team and the selection committee, for this incredible opportunity," Rinde said. "Their support for me during the process and for the program has been incredible. Over the last two seasons, I have had the immense privilege of learning from one of the most impactful figures in my life, Jim Dailey. Soaking up the rich history, deep tradition and culture of this program alongside him has been an incredible gift. It is the greatest honor of my coaching career to accept and represent Lafayette College swimming and diving as the next head coach. The future is very bright for the programs and I can't wait to start the 2026-27 season. I look forward to seeing you at our meets." 

Prior to joining the Leopards, Rinde coached at Lehigh for two seasons, where he was responsible for designing and running workouts, recruiting, coordinating official visits and overseeing underwater video analysis and review. 

Prior to that, Rinde was the program director and head coach at Parkland Swimming Club, playing a key role in advancing the club's mission and overall development.  

From 2013-22, Rinde held coaching positions across the country, working with programs in New York, Georgia, Florida and Alabama.

Rinde began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Canisius University while earning his Master's degree from 2010-13. At Canisius, he was instrumental in international recruitment, team operations, and technique development, specializing in distance training and coaching at Open Water Nationals. 

Rinde earned his bachelor of science degree in health and wellness from SUNY Buffalo State College in 2010.