The Career Lesson in Todd DeSorbo’s Journey From CPA to UVA to Team USA

DeSorbo was a CPA at Deloitte for several years before getting into coaching collegiate swimmers.

“I feel a natural connection to him,” said Lovelace, who spent 12 years as an officer in the U.S. Army before entering academia. 

No two paths to a career are the same. Lovelace, a living example of that truth, often acknowledges it with his students, noting that new opportunities can present themselves at any time.  

DeSorbo, who served as a guest speaker at Lovelace’s “Leadership Across the Disciplines” course in spring of 2023, provided another concrete illustration. 

McIntire professor Jeffrey Lovelace has developed a bond with DeSorbo that was ignited after the swim coach spoke to his students about leadership. (Photo by Matt Riley, University Communications)

“He was vulnerable about his story and how he found his way,” Lovelace recalled. “I really think that helped our students see multiple things, but most notably, the lesson in finding something you’re passionate about, and – our students aren’t always ready to hear this message – it’s OK to pivot. 

“Like, you can pivot in your career. If you come from a good base and you discover something you love, it’s OK to make that transition.”

DeSorbo was a record-breaking swimmer at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, where he received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting. At Deloitte’s Raleigh, North Carolina, office, he, from 2000 to 2006, worked a job that had its perks – Deloitte is considered one of the top accounting firms in the world – but didn’t bring him personal satisfaction. 

“Doing the tax work, accounting work, I didn’t hate it,” DeSorbo said, “but I didn’t love it. I didn’t wake up every morning excited to go to work. I woke up every morning knowing that I needed to go to work.”

It’s a stark contrast to his current position – DeSorbo’s been UVA’s head coach since 2017 – where he admits to being overly giddy on occasion. 

“I can’t wait to get to the pool every day,” he said. “I actually got a speeding ticket back in the fall, in the morning, not because I was late (to practice). … I just couldn’t wait to get here.”

DeSorbo, though, hasn’t completely dismissed his roots. Like in accounting, quick math skills can be pertinent to success as a swim coach. 

“I’m a numbers guy and I can remember times,” he said. “This is just like addition-subtraction stuff, but I’m really big at calling out splits and helping the team and also telling them this is where you need to be, this is the time you need to go.

“And that’s all because of my math background. If I see a number, I’ll never forget it.”

As the director of McIntire’s leadership minor, Lovelace is regularly seeking perspective from a variety of successful managers. What he’s found in DeSorbo, who’s coached a handful of Lovelace’s students over the years, is a relatable trait. 

There’s a reason why both the professor and the coach – after years of being in other roles – are now charged with guiding college students.  

“The thing I loved most about the Army was developing other people,” Lovelace, who came to UVA in 2017, said. “And I realized being a professor at a university, you feel like you’re having an impact on people. So, there’s a similar commitment to trying to help people achieve their goals that I think we can both relate to. 

“Not trying to say we’re the same, as he’s now coaching at the Olympic level, but there’s a passion for success and for helping people realize their personal goals. And I think it’s a natural sort of fit and why we’ve enjoyed conversations outside of the classroom.”

Perhaps lost in the flurry of UVA’s pre-Olympic swimming success this summer – six Cavalier student-athletes and alumni qualified for Paris, including Aimee Canny of South Africa – was the June 25 news release that the program was named a “Scholar All-America Team” after a spring semester in which the women’s team combined for a 3.71 GPA and the men’s team, also coached by DeSorbo, posted a 3.38.

Lovelace has a label for how DeSorbo runs his program.

“It’s the UVA way,” he said. “You’re not going to be great at just one thing; we’re going to help you grow as a person overall. I don’t think you can find a better representation of that than Todd.”

Not bad for an old accountant. 

“After his experience as a swimmer and then being able to come back to that later and see how much he appreciated it,” Lovelace said, “I think that journey helped him figure out why he loved it so much. There’s a great lesson there.”