Greenwich High School named alumna Megan Kelly head coach of its girls swimming and diving team as the Cardinals prepare to defend a Triple Crown.

Kelly, a former All-American who swam for the Cardinals in the late 1990s, takes over alongside assistant coach Jennifer "JJ" Worden, a former University of Michigan swimmer. Greenwich Time first reported the hires on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

The pair stepped in after former head coach Brendan Heller resigned in April 2026. Heller won four Class LL championships, three State Open titles and three FCIAC championships during five seasons leading the program. The head coaching position sat vacant until mid-August, when Kelly and Worden applied.

Kelly told Greenwich Time that she and Worden saw an opportunity they couldn't pass up. "Another mom and I who happen to be coaches in the area put our names in the hat and said, 'No, these girls deserve good coaching. It's something we felt passionately about, but it wasn't something that we necessarily planned to do," she said.

Both coaches bring Division I credentials. Kelly swam at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and currently serves as head coach at Greenwich Academy during the winter season and as an assistant with the Greenwich YWCA Marlins. Worden, a 1993 graduate of Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids, Mich., competed at Michigan, later swam at the U.S. Masters level and is an assistant coach for the Dolphins swim club.

Both have daughters on the roster. Kelly's daughter Evie is a sophomore. Worden's daughter Kensington is a senior who won the 50 freestyle at the FCIAC championships, earned GametimeCT All-State honorable mention and CHSCA All-State recognition after the 2025 season. Sophomore diver Alden Charette, who won the FCIAC and State Open diving titles as a freshman, also returns for Greenwich.

The Cardinals are defending a Triple Crown after sweeping the FCIAC, Class LL and State Open championships in 2025. It was the program's 20th Triple Crown and added to a total of 54 CIAC championships.

Kelly said she sees Greenwich as underdogs this fall. Ridgefield, which competed in Class L last season, moves into Class LL for 2026 and returns most of its roster. Greenwich graduated several high-scoring seniors.

The Cardinals open the season at Ridgefield on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 4 p.m. at Barlow Mountain Pool.