University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Diving
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Breaststroke/Freestyle
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Off the Blocks with Mike Joyce
6/30/2021 11:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving
MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota swimming & diving program's coaching staff will feature two bright, new faces this coming season, as Mike Joyce and Stacy Busack are both joining the Maroon and Gold ranks. With the hopes of better getting to know these two fresh additions to the squad, Gopher Sports sat down with each to discuss themselves, their hopes for the future of the Gophers and more.
First up on the blocks is Joyce, a former assistant coach at Auburn University where he spent three seasons with the Tigers before ultimately making the decision to join Minnesota. The decision to move on, however, was as easy a choice as any for him.
"There were several things which drew my family and I to Minnesota," said Joyce. "The leadership provided by [head coach] Kelly Kremer was a huge factor. He's a Minnesota man through and through, he's been at the very top and it's clear he wants to get back there. Annually, he has a lot of success with several individuals as well. Max McHugh and Sarah Bacon just won two titles, Bowe Becker just made an Olympic team, and a number of other women have won NCAA titles over just the past 10 years."
Apart from the stellar leadership Joyce saw at Minnesota, he accredited a number of other factors towards his decision to join the Maroon and Gold, including the incredible academics, city life and facilities.
"Great swimmers are traditionally great students," Joyce said, "and I knew Minnesota had a really strong reputation as an academic institution. Between the competitive degrees, numerous nationally ranked programs and the excellent Lindahl Academic Center, Minnesota definitely checked that box for me.
"Adding in the city and college life balance and the outstanding facilities here, Minnesota was a clear choice for where I wanted to continue my career. We host NCAAs and Big Tens every couple years and the Paralympic Swimming Team Trials were held here just last month, which really shows that USA Swimming, the USOPC, the NCAA and the Big Ten all really value our facilities as well."
Though he couldn't be more overjoyed to be moving into this step in his career, Joyce's journey to and through collegiate swimming started years before that decision had even become a possibility.
Born and raised just 15 minutes south of Philadelphia in Washington Township, N.J., Joyce began his swimming career at an early age through the guidance of his mother, a collegiate swimmer who swam for the University of Miami.
"I got into swimming because my mom was a swimmer at Miami," said Joyce. "She threw me into the sport at a really early age, and I loved it. I was never pressured to do it at a competitive level until I was ready, so I played all sorts of sports throughout and even into high school. High school is really when I decided that swimming was probably my best sport, so I honed in on it, got recruited to several schools and ultimately attended the University of Florida."
Joyce enjoyed a strong career with the Gators where he would make two Olympic Trials appearances, be named an All-American in the 400 IM and earn four-straight NCAA Scholar All-American honors. Coincidentally, Joyce's sole All-American honor came right here at the University of Minnesota's Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center, where he placed sixth in the event at the 2011 NCAA Championships.
Once Joyce's swimming career had officially come to a close at the conclusion of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Swimming Team Trials, there was only one path which the New Jersey native could see himself in over the rest of his life: coaching.
"Right after the 2012 trials, I flew to London to watch the games and cheer on all of my training partners and teammates who had made the team, and that's when I knew I wanted to start coaching," said Joyce. "When I got back, I started working with a club team in Gainesville while I was getting my masters degree, and everything just took off from there."
The club team which Joyce got his start in the coaching world was the Gator Swim Club, largely due to his now-retired collegiate coach and one of his personal heroes Gregg Troy.
"The most influential person on my career to date has been Gregg Troy," Joyce said. "He provided an experience for me both as a student-athlete that I couldn't have dreamed of and allowed for me to get my start in coaching while also finishing my degree. Even now, we still have a great relationship and talk regularly. His influence on my career has been immeasurable."
From there, Joyce would then move on to work with a number of programs across the country, including NC State University, Princeton University, Arizona State University and eventually Auburn, where he learned and grew under a number of coaches on the pool deck before he ultimately found his home here at the 'U'.
Now as a Gopher, Joyce's vision for the future of the Maroon and Gold is one that all Gopher fans would love to see.
"We just need to trust the process. Along with [Kremer] and the rest of the coaching staff, I know we can get back into contention for one of the top spots at Big Tens in the near future. Because our conference is so competitive, once that happens, we can start to talk about contending for some of the top spots at NCAAs. If we do this thing right, I genuinely believe that with [Kremer's] guidance and all of our coaching staff on board, that is a goal we can absolutely achieve."
As the new head of men's recruiting as well, Joyce will have a major role in helping incoming student-athletes find their home here in Minnesota. Along with that, of all things he hopes to accomplish in the role, one key point which will remain at the top of his to-do list in reaching new recruits is to share Minnesota with them.
"We don't want to sell our University or brand to any of the new student-athletes coming in," said Joyce, "but rather we'd like to share what we have to offer them to help them make their own decisions. When that happens, you truly get to know these people as students, athletes, family members, and culturally if they're going to fit the mold we have built here at Minnesota.
"This past year was a lot of virtual and honest, truthful conversations, and those won't stop. I've been on several calls already since our new recruiting period began, and it's been awesome speaking with people all over the country. People are intrigued about what's going on, and our job is to keep sharing that and making sure they understand who we are as a program and a university."
Outside of his hopes for the Gophers program in the upcoming future, Joyce will have plenty to do off the pool deck as well, as he and his family get adjusted to their life up north.
"I'd really like to make it a point that my family and I get out and venture Minnesota. I want to see some of the lakes and get more acquainted with all of the winter and summer activities here. I'm a huge outdoors enthusiast, so I really want to make sure that we experience everything Minnesota has to offer.
"I'm also a huge fan of college football. I know the first game of the season is here in Minneapolis against Ohio State, and we'll be there as a family. Truth be told, I really love watching all sports. I've followed Big Ten swimming and football already, but I'm also really excited to learn more about all of the sports in the Big Ten."
First up on the blocks is Joyce, a former assistant coach at Auburn University where he spent three seasons with the Tigers before ultimately making the decision to join Minnesota. The decision to move on, however, was as easy a choice as any for him.
"There were several things which drew my family and I to Minnesota," said Joyce. "The leadership provided by [head coach] Kelly Kremer was a huge factor. He's a Minnesota man through and through, he's been at the very top and it's clear he wants to get back there. Annually, he has a lot of success with several individuals as well. Max McHugh and Sarah Bacon just won two titles, Bowe Becker just made an Olympic team, and a number of other women have won NCAA titles over just the past 10 years."
Apart from the stellar leadership Joyce saw at Minnesota, he accredited a number of other factors towards his decision to join the Maroon and Gold, including the incredible academics, city life and facilities.
"Great swimmers are traditionally great students," Joyce said, "and I knew Minnesota had a really strong reputation as an academic institution. Between the competitive degrees, numerous nationally ranked programs and the excellent Lindahl Academic Center, Minnesota definitely checked that box for me.
"Adding in the city and college life balance and the outstanding facilities here, Minnesota was a clear choice for where I wanted to continue my career. We host NCAAs and Big Tens every couple years and the Paralympic Swimming Team Trials were held here just last month, which really shows that USA Swimming, the USOPC, the NCAA and the Big Ten all really value our facilities as well."
Though he couldn't be more overjoyed to be moving into this step in his career, Joyce's journey to and through collegiate swimming started years before that decision had even become a possibility.
Born and raised just 15 minutes south of Philadelphia in Washington Township, N.J., Joyce began his swimming career at an early age through the guidance of his mother, a collegiate swimmer who swam for the University of Miami.
"I got into swimming because my mom was a swimmer at Miami," said Joyce. "She threw me into the sport at a really early age, and I loved it. I was never pressured to do it at a competitive level until I was ready, so I played all sorts of sports throughout and even into high school. High school is really when I decided that swimming was probably my best sport, so I honed in on it, got recruited to several schools and ultimately attended the University of Florida."
Joyce enjoyed a strong career with the Gators where he would make two Olympic Trials appearances, be named an All-American in the 400 IM and earn four-straight NCAA Scholar All-American honors. Coincidentally, Joyce's sole All-American honor came right here at the University of Minnesota's Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center, where he placed sixth in the event at the 2011 NCAA Championships.
Once Joyce's swimming career had officially come to a close at the conclusion of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Swimming Team Trials, there was only one path which the New Jersey native could see himself in over the rest of his life: coaching.
"Right after the 2012 trials, I flew to London to watch the games and cheer on all of my training partners and teammates who had made the team, and that's when I knew I wanted to start coaching," said Joyce. "When I got back, I started working with a club team in Gainesville while I was getting my masters degree, and everything just took off from there."
The club team which Joyce got his start in the coaching world was the Gator Swim Club, largely due to his now-retired collegiate coach and one of his personal heroes Gregg Troy.
"The most influential person on my career to date has been Gregg Troy," Joyce said. "He provided an experience for me both as a student-athlete that I couldn't have dreamed of and allowed for me to get my start in coaching while also finishing my degree. Even now, we still have a great relationship and talk regularly. His influence on my career has been immeasurable."
From there, Joyce would then move on to work with a number of programs across the country, including NC State University, Princeton University, Arizona State University and eventually Auburn, where he learned and grew under a number of coaches on the pool deck before he ultimately found his home here at the 'U'.
Now as a Gopher, Joyce's vision for the future of the Maroon and Gold is one that all Gopher fans would love to see.
"We just need to trust the process. Along with [Kremer] and the rest of the coaching staff, I know we can get back into contention for one of the top spots at Big Tens in the near future. Because our conference is so competitive, once that happens, we can start to talk about contending for some of the top spots at NCAAs. If we do this thing right, I genuinely believe that with [Kremer's] guidance and all of our coaching staff on board, that is a goal we can absolutely achieve."
As the new head of men's recruiting as well, Joyce will have a major role in helping incoming student-athletes find their home here in Minnesota. Along with that, of all things he hopes to accomplish in the role, one key point which will remain at the top of his to-do list in reaching new recruits is to share Minnesota with them.
"We don't want to sell our University or brand to any of the new student-athletes coming in," said Joyce, "but rather we'd like to share what we have to offer them to help them make their own decisions. When that happens, you truly get to know these people as students, athletes, family members, and culturally if they're going to fit the mold we have built here at Minnesota.
"This past year was a lot of virtual and honest, truthful conversations, and those won't stop. I've been on several calls already since our new recruiting period began, and it's been awesome speaking with people all over the country. People are intrigued about what's going on, and our job is to keep sharing that and making sure they understand who we are as a program and a university."
Outside of his hopes for the Gophers program in the upcoming future, Joyce will have plenty to do off the pool deck as well, as he and his family get adjusted to their life up north.
"I'd really like to make it a point that my family and I get out and venture Minnesota. I want to see some of the lakes and get more acquainted with all of the winter and summer activities here. I'm a huge outdoors enthusiast, so I really want to make sure that we experience everything Minnesota has to offer.
"I'm also a huge fan of college football. I know the first game of the season is here in Minneapolis against Ohio State, and we'll be there as a family. Truth be told, I really love watching all sports. I've followed Big Ten swimming and football already, but I'm also really excited to learn more about all of the sports in the Big Ten."
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