This month, Carmel Monthly is pleased to feature Chris Plumb on its cover. After an impressive debut as a U.S. Olympic team assistant coach this summer, Plumb has been named head coach of the U.S. roster for the upcoming Short Course World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, from December 10-15. This appointment marks Plumb’s first time leading a senior-level international team, a milestone USA Swimming announced on social media.
An Accomplished Coach
Plumb was named Head Coach/CEO of Carmel Swim Club in July 2006, but has been with the program since 2003. As Head Coach/CEO, Chris oversees all aspects of the club and coaches the High Performance training group. He is a dynamic leader for the organization, and works tirelessly to push Carmel to be a model club both in Indiana and nationally. Chris’s execution of the Carmel Swim Club’s vision to be a community club with a national presence continues to push CSC to new levels of success, including recognition as a USA Swimming Gold Medal Club of Excellence several times since 2010.
Plumb’s coaching credentials have been bolstered by his success with elite swimmers, including siblings Aaron and Alex Shackell, whom he guided onto the U.S. Olympic team earlier this year. Aaron Shackell clinched a spot by winning the 400-meter freestyle at the U.S. Olympic Trials, while his younger sister Alex Shackell earned her place in Paris with a sixth-place finish in the 200-meter freestyle and a runner-up result in the 200-meter butterfly. Additionally, Carmel Swim Club alum Drew Kibler secured his Olympic team spot for relay duties.
Of the three, only Alex Shackell will represent the U.S. at the Short Course Worlds as Aaron opted to focus on his collegiate swimming commitments. Plumb, who serves as the Carmel Swim Club’s head coach, continues to demonstrate his ability to develop top-tier athletes and guide them to international success.
Better Prepared for Budapest
Supporting Plumb will be an accomplished coaching staff featuring Josh Huger of California, John Long of Indiana, Katie Robinson of Stanford and Jake Shrum of Virginia. Each assistant is affiliated with a prestigious collegiate program that contributed swimmers to the U.S. roster. Notably, all four coaches will make their senior-level debut as part of the official USA Swimming staff.
Plumb’s appointment reflects USA Swimming’s confidence in his leadership and vision for the team. His work with Carmel Swim Club has been instrumental in shaping swimmers who excel at both the national and international levels. As head coach, he will oversee a talented roster aiming to achieve success in Budapest, continuing the tradition of excellence synonymous with USA Swimming.
The Short Course World Championships offer a unique opportunity for athletes and coaches to showcase their skills on a global stage in a 25-meter pool format, differing from the standard 50-meter Olympic pool. Plumb and his team will look to capitalize on this platform to secure victories and establish new milestones for U.S. swimming.
As the countdown begins to the championships, the swimming community eagerly anticipates how Plumb will guide his team to success, further solidifying his reputation as a leading figure in the sport. With a combination of experienced leadership and promising athletes, Team USA is poised to make waves in Budapest.
Plumb shared how his experience at the Paris Summer Olympics has been instrumental in preparing him for his role as head coach at the Short Course World Championships in Budapest.
“It was a lifelong dream to represent the United States at the Olympics,” Plumb shared. “To be able to do that as a coach, as a representative of the Carmel community, and my family, I think it’s just a tremendous feeling of achievement that I’m incredibly proud of. I am also well aware of the importance of having the [Carmel] community’s support that helped to make something like this [coaching opportunities] happen. I had a lot of time to reflect and am grateful for the opportunities. My father was in the military and my grandfather was in World War II, and though I am not a member of the U.S. Armed Services—[coaching] certainly pales in comparison—I do think it’s a similar feeling in terms of representing your country on an international stage and being able to compete with other nations through athletics.”
Plumb continued, “Being at the [Paris] Olympics and walking around the village, being around the best athletes in the world was surreal. I still get goosebumps thinking about it. The moment I first walked in and saw all the Olympic flags and then the Olympic rings… that’s when it really hit and I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh… this is really happening.’ Having actually experienced it for myself and having watched the athletes go through it, competing at that level is an incredibly challenging task. The emotional toll of being on a world stage is a really difficult thing to do. As head coach, I’ll have a slightly different role, but I am applying what I’ve learned [from Paris] and put my own spin on it. Knowing how important it is to get the logistics right, making sure we [the team] have the right energy, working through the ebbs and flows, international travel and time changes, and all that stuff. Understanding all of those things and having gone through it at the Olympics, I am better prepared for the meet in Budapest.”
Achievements & Accolades
Positions: Head Coach of Carmel Swim Club and Carmel High School
Served as a U.S. Olympic team assistant coach in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics
Served as assistant coach for National Staff at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships
Plumb has led one of the most successful club teams in the country over the last decade or so
Previously served on several junior international team’s staff
Previously served as the head coach for the U.S. at the 2016 Junior Pan Pacific Championships
Served as assistant women’s coach at the 2017 FINA World Junior Championships
Served as the Head Women’s Coach for a USA Swimming National Junior Team Camp