Swimming New Zealand head coach Jerry Olszewski has resigned from his position after just a year on the job, according to a report from Stuff.
Olszewski told his bosses Tuesday that he would be returning to the United States, where he had coached for more than 25 years.
“There are personal and family reasons, [Jerry] has informed us. His whole family is back in the States, so it is going back to them really,” Swimming New Zealand CEO Steve Johns told Stuff. “It certainly caught us by surprise. We are busy now looking at what the short-to-medium term is going to hold for us, but we have to respect his decision.
“It’s always a risk when a sport in New Zealand brings in a international coach that at some point they’ll want to head back. I wasn’t around when Jerry was employed but that was discussed and it was felt it wouldn’t be an issue. For whatever reason he’s decided he needs to be back with his family.”
Mat Woofe, who had been a coaching intern and Olszewski’s top assistant, will take over in the interim. The moves comes at a tricky time for the organization, with the Commonwealth Games just seven months away.
After much turnover in recent years, Swimming New Zealand will now be looking for its fifth different head coach since 2014.
Read more from Stuff by clicking here.