After more than a decade of dedicated service to swimmers and families, Greater Somerset County YMCA STORM Swim Team Head Coach Mary Korey is transitioning into a new role with the team for the 2026 swim season, marking the beginning of a thoughtfully planned leadership transition.
Coach Mary will continue serving the team and will transition into a new assistant coaching role this fall, allowing her to remain connected to the athletes and program she has helped build into a nationally recognized powerhouse.
"Mary's impact on our swimmers, families, and coaches extends far beyond championships and accolades. Her leadership, commitment, and unwavering dedication have helped shape GSCY STORM into one of the premier YMCA swim programs in the nation. We are incredibly grateful for everything she has accomplished and are excited that she will continue to share her experience and passion with our athletes in her new role. Her legacy will continue to influence our program for years to come," said David M. Carcieri, President and CEO of Greater Somerset County YMCA.
Coach Mary's YMCA journey began 13 years ago at Somerset Hills YMCA, where she taught swim lessons and operated a preschool swim school for seven years. Her passion for teaching and developing young swimmers eventually led her into competitive coaching.
Over the past six years, she has coached swimmers across all age groups, serving as lead coach for both the 8-and-under and Senior groups while supporting athletes at every level in between.
A native of Illinois, Coach Mary was a multi-sport athlete who competed in swimming and volleyball during college while also enjoying recreational tennis and golf. She moved to New Jersey more than 26 years ago after marrying her husband and has since become a fixture in the local swimming community.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Somerset Hills YMCA's swim team merged with another YMCA team to form Greater Somerset County YMCA STORM. Under Coach Mary's leadership, the program went on to achieve remarkable and consistent success on the national stage.
The team captured four consecutive YMCA national championships:
The 2023 season was particularly historic, as STORM became the first team from New Jersey to win the YMCA Short Course National Championship, while also capturing the Long Course National Championship. The team followed that achievement by winning the 2024 Short Course National Championship, completing a four-title championship streak and establishing GSCY STORM as one of the premier YMCA swim programs in the country.
Coach Mary's accomplishments extended beyond YMCA competition. In 2023, she was selected as an assistant coach for Team USA at the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships in Netanya, Israel. She also earned the distinction of being the only Junior World Championships coach affiliated with a YMCA organization.
In 2024, she served as head coach for Team USA at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships and became the first female coach to win a combined YMCA national title.
That same year, Coach Mary attended the U.S. Olympic Team Trials alongside four GSCY STORM athletes and watched two program alumni, Matt Fallon and Jack Alexy, earn spots on Team USA for the Olympic Games.
Despite the accolades and international coaching opportunities, Coach Mary says the most meaningful part of her career has always been the relationships she has built with athletes.
"Coaching has given me opportunities I never could have imagined. I've had the privilege of working with incredible athletes and families, traveling the world, representing Team USA, and watching swimmers grow from young children into accomplished young adults. While I'm excited for this next chapter, I'm equally grateful to remain involved with GSCY STORM and the community that has meant so much to me and my family. As both a coach and a parent of a swimmer, I've experienced firsthand how special this program is. The relationships I've built over the years and the memories we've created together are what I will cherish most."
As she begins this next chapter, Coach Mary remains committed to supporting the continued success of GSCY STORM and the swimmers who have made the program a national leader.
For more information about Greater Somerset County YMCA's competitive swim teams, visit: https://www.gscymca.org/programs/aquatics/swim-teams/.
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