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Liberty University Club Sports Athletics
Men's Swimming
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- hrgrishaw2@liberty.edu
Heath Grishaw enters his 10th season with the Liberty University Men's Swimming program in 2026-27 after helping launch the program during its inaugural season in Fall 2017. Following one season as an assistant coach, Grishaw was promoted to head coach and has led the Flames ever since. During Liberty's inaugural season, he was named Liberty University Club Sports Assistant Coach of the Year, foreshadowing the success that would follow under his leadership.
Since taking over the program, Grishaw has transformed Liberty into one of the premier collegiate club swimming programs in the nation. In just a decade, the Flames have established themselves as perennial national contenders, recording five consecutive top-five finishes at the College Club Swimming (CCS) National Championships, including three straight national runner-up finishes (2023-25) before placing third among a record 144 teams at the 2026 CCS National Championships. Liberty also finished fifth nationally in 2022, marking the program's emergence as one of the country's elite club swimming programs.
Under Grishaw's leadership, Liberty has captured six consecutive CCS Eastern Regional Championships while producing multiple individual and relay national champions, dozens of regional champions, school record holders, and championship-record performances. His teams have consistently competed among the nation's best while continuing to raise the standard for Liberty Men's Swimming.
While the program's competitive success has become a hallmark, Grishaw believes his greatest responsibility extends far beyond the pool deck. His coaching philosophy is centered on developing Christ-centered leaders who pursue excellence in their faith, academics, athletics, and service. He challenges his student-athletes to compete with integrity, lead with humility, and use their platform to glorify Christ.
"My prayer is that every young man who comes through our program leaves stronger in his faith, stronger in his character, and equipped to pursue excellence in whatever God calls him to next,"Â Grishaw said.
A Lynchburg, Virginia, native, Grishaw is a Liberty University graduate, earning his bachelor's degree in 2018 before completing a Master of Science in Sport Administration in 2020.
Prior to leading the Flames, Grishaw coached throughout Central Virginia with the Lynchburg YMCA (USA Swimming), Liberty Christian Academy, and several Lynchburg Area League summer league programs, including F.A.S.T., Wildwood, and Farmington. His coaching experience has also included mentoring Liberty alumnus and Olympian Charles Fernandez as the modern pentathlete trained alongside Liberty's swimming program.
Growing up in Lynchburg, Grishaw witnessed firsthand Liberty University's influence on both his hometown and his own life. That experience continues to shape his purpose of investing in young men who will make an impact for Christ long after their competitive careers have ended.
Grishaw and his wife, Ashlyn, reside in Lynchburg with their daughter, Oakley, and son, Tyus.
By the Numbers
National Success
- 10 Seasons with Liberty Men's Swimming (Fall 2017–Present)Â
- 5 Consecutive Top-5 National Finishes
- 3rd – 2026Â
- 2nd – 2025Â
- 2nd – 2024Â
- 2nd – 2023Â
- 5th – 2022Â
- 6 Consecutive CCS Eastern Regional Championships
- 7 Individual National Champions
- 3 Relay National Championships
- 60 Individual Regional Champions
- 22 Relay Regional Championships
Education
Liberty University
- B.S., 2018Â
- M.S., Sport Administration, 2020Â
- Liberty University Men's Swimming
- Assistant Coach (2017–18)Â
- Head Coach (2018–Present)Â
- Lynchburg YMCA (USA Swimming)Â
- Liberty Christian AcademyÂ
- F.A.S.T. Swim TeamÂ
- Wildwood Swim TeamÂ
- Farmington Swim Team
