ISL Announces United States Coaching Staff for All-Star Match
The International Swimming League (ISL) has today announced the coaches of the United States Team, the second of the four teams that will contest the ISL All-Star Match at the London Aquatics Centre in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on Saturday, December 19, 2026.
The United States Team will be coached by Cyndi Gallagher, Carol Capitani and Todd DeSorbo, with Gallagher as head coach: three coaches who between them have led the United States women’s team at the Olympic Games and the World Championships, and whose swimmers have won Olympic titles, world championships and set world records. They are the second coaching staff confirmed for the All-Star Match, in which the United States Team will face the Commonwealth, Europe and Intercontinental teams for the largest prize pool ever offered for a single night of competitive swimming.
Ben Allen, Commissioner of the International Swimming League, said: “The United States has always set the pace in world swimming, and this coaching staff shows why. Cyndi, Carol and Todd have dominated college swimming, led American teams on the world stage and coached swimmers who have rewritten the record books, and Cyndi was there at the very start with DC Trident. The second of our four teams is taking shape, and the names in the water will follow.”
The United States Team’s star athletes will be announced in the coming weeks, along with the coaches of the Europe and Intercontinental Teams. Tickets for the All-Star Match are on sale now through Ticketmaster, with full details at isl.global.
The United States Team coaches:
Cyndi Gallagher: The first head coach of DC Trident in the league’s original seasons, Gallagher returns after 31 years leading UCLA women’s swimming, where she produced 11 Olympians and 91 All-Americans and won more dual meets than any coach in programme history. She entered the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2021.
Carol Capitani: Head coach of the University of Texas women’s programme since 2012, Capitani has won a conference team title in each of her first 14 seasons and six consecutive top-three finishes at the NCAA Championships. She led the United States women’s team at the 2023 World Championships, and her athletes include world medallists Leah Smith and Madisyn Cox.
Todd DeSorbo: Head coach at the University of Virginia, where he has won six consecutive NCAA women’s team titles (2021 to 2026), the first coach to do so. DeSorbo led the United States women’s team at Paris 2024 and the 2022 World Championships, and his training group, including Kate Douglass and Gretchen Walsh, has produced at least 35 world records since 2022 and counting.
The above press release was provided to Swimming World by the International Swimming League.
