MSU Moorhead Athletics

Charlie King is in his eighth season as the head swimming and diving coach at Minnesota State University Moorhead in 2025-26. He was named to the position in June 2018.

King became just the second head coach in program history.

The Dragons saw massive improvement under King in 2024-25, finishing sixth at the NSIC Swimming & Diving Championships with 327 points. MSUM was electric in dual competition all season, going 8-1 overall with their lone loss coming against a nationally-ranked opponent. True freshman Fernanda Leon was an All-NSIC performer in the 400-yard IM with Leon setting multiple top ten times during the season. MSUM saw top ten times across the board, most notably from young swimmers like sophomores Sophia Verke and Maggie Moore as well as freshman Rose Urick. 

MSUM placed ninth at the 2024 NSIC Swimming & Diving Championships and were led by a young core that included 10 freshman. True frosh Sophia Verke registered an NCAA B-standard time in the 100-yard freestyle at the Rochester Invitational. King's swimmers also set numerous top ten times throughout the year. Senior Arina Bratamidjaja was named the NSIC's Outstanding Senior of the Year at the conference meet as well. 

The Dragons finished 2022-23 in ninth at the NSIC Championships, led by the phenomenal freshman campaign of Maddie Johnson. The Nampa, Idaho, native finished in eighth place in the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke.

MSUM had a solid fifth-place finish at the NSIC Championships in 2022, led by Katelin Winter, who won the 200 butterfly conference championship and set a school record at the meet.  Six Dragons earned NSIC All-Academic honors.

The 2020-21 season was shortened by Covid-19. MSUM went 1-1 in duals and eight members of Dragon swim and dive earned NSIC All-Academic honors.

In 2019-20 senior Erin Fons earned All-NSIC honors in the 200 breaststroke for MSUM. Sophomore Katelin Winter set a new school record in the 200 free while the 800 free relay also set a record.

In 2018-19 MSUM had junior Breah Anderson qualify for the national championships in the 50 free while Amber Westereng earned a trip to the pre-qualifying diving meet. Senior Taylor Beynon and Westereng earned All-NSIC honors as well.

King spent the previous six seasons as the head men's and women's swimming and diving head coach at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse.

"I'd like to thank the athletics director, Doug Peters. I am both excited and humbled by the opportunity to lead this program," King said. "I looked forward to building off the program's history, the great academics offered by MSUM, and great local community."

A native of Hibbing, Minn., King built a successful program at UW La Crosse. He had 23 athletes earn All-American honors and also coached 255 All-WIAC honorees. He coached the UWL women's swimming and diving team to six straight WIAC titles.

King was a three-time WIAC Coach of the Year.

Prior to his successful tenure at UWL, King served as an assistant coach at the University of Utah. He helped recruit on one top 15 and one top 20 recruiting class at Utah, and also saw nine athletes attain school records.

He has also served as the head women's and men's coach at Millikin University in 2007-08. King was a graduate assistant coach at St. Cloud State from 2005-07, and was the head women's swimming coach at Augsburg College from 2003-05.

King is a 2000 graduate of St. Cloud State with a degree in social studies with a history emphasis. He earned a master's degree in sports management from SCSU in 2007.