Arizona State’s Hubert Kos Enters the Transfer Portal

Hubert Kos, an Arizona State sophomore from Telki, Hungary, has entered the transfer portal with a “Do Not Contact” designation. This follows the University of Texas’s announcement on April 1st that it had hired ASU head coach Bob Bowman to the position of Director of Swimming and head coach of Men’s Swimming and Diving.

We reported on April 2nd that Kos had told Hungarian media he would remain with Bowman through Paris. “There is no change, I will train with Bob until the Olympics, that’s for sure,” Kos said. “Next week there will be a competition in San Antonio, then we will go to Colorado for a high-altitude training camp – after that there may be a change compared to before, whether Bob can come back here or not, and then maybe we will continue preparing with Leon (Marchand) elsewhere. But he knows we’ll stay together, so the three of us for sure.”

The move into the transfer portal, therefore, formalizes Kos’s break with ASU.

Kos is coming off a stellar sophomore season with the Sun Devils. He scored 48 individual points at 2024 NCAA Championships, contributing to Arizona State’s first-ever national title. He placed 2nd in the 200 back (1:35.90), 3rd in the 200 IM (1:39.66), and 4th in the 100 back (44.13). He also swam on ASU’s winning 400 medley relay (44.61 leadoff backstroke) and runner-up 800 free relay (1:32.29). At the Pac-12 conference meet, he won all three of those events and set the NCAA record in the 200 back with 1:35.69. (The mark was later lowered at NCAAs by Cal’s Destin Lasco.)

As a freshman, he came in 3rd in the 200 back (ASU school record of 1:37.96), 4th in the 400 IM (3:37.00), and 11th in the 200 IM (1:41.61).

Kos was the 2023 World Champion in the 200 back; he won gold with a PB of 1:54.14 last summer in Fukuoka, edging Ryan Murphy whose NCAA record he would later eclipse. Kos also placed 7th in the 100 back final (53.11).

In 2022, Kos won gold in the 200 IM (1:57.72) at the European Championships.

He represented Hungary at the 2020 Toyko Olympics in the summer of 2021, where he placed 19th in prelims of the 200 IM (1:58.47).

Kos is presumed to have another 2 years of NCAA eligibility.

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Swag_swimmer21
8 months ago

Hey I heard from a little birdie that they are all transferring to India institute of technology in Bombay India with Eddie Reese as the head coach.

bobthebuilderrocks
8 months ago

Where are Magahey and Miroslaw going?

CELL
Reply to  bobthebuilderrocks
8 months ago

WVU of course

Riccardo
Reply to  bobthebuilderrocks
8 months ago

Are you saying they are in the portal?

Twitch4l
Reply to  bobthebuilderrocks
8 months ago

Which miroslaw?

ArtVanDeLegh10
8 months ago

I heard that he will not be swimming for Texas. Don’t be surprised is very few, if any, transfer from ASU to Texas.

snailSpace
Reply to  ArtVanDeLegh10
8 months ago

Hmm, where is he going then? He came to the US for Bob. I’m sure he is very motivated to follow him one way or another.

Justin Pollard
Reply to  snailSpace
8 months ago

He took a few lessons from Destin Lasco this year at NCAAs … maybe Cal to learn from the best?

snailSpace
Reply to  Justin Pollard
8 months ago

Obvious bait, but… I’m sure the 2023 World Champion in the 200 back has little to learn from the guy that has never made an individual World Championship final in his life.
There is little doubt who is the better swimmer of the two, just like there is little doubt who is the better swimmer of the two in yards.

ArtVanDeLegh10
Reply to  snailSpace
8 months ago

Maybe he won’t leave. He’s in the portal so Bob can coach him right now. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll go to Texas though.

I don’t know where he’s going, but from what I’ve heard, ASU may not have as many go to Texas as everyone thinks.

snailSpace
Reply to  ArtVanDeLegh10
8 months ago

Yeah, that’s what I’ve figured too. However, Swimswam seems pretty sure he is leaving, and he is the next most obvious choice after Leon, who is at least almost certainly following Bob.

txswammer
Reply to  ArtVanDeLegh10
8 months ago

Why do I have a feeling he’s looking at Florida?

Hank
8 months ago

I heard they’re building an underground tunnel from Arizona State to Texas

CELL
8 months ago

I’ll eat a cap and record it if Kos transfers to Cal

snailSpace
Reply to  CELL
8 months ago

Everyone here is joking. We all know where he will probably end up transferring to.

CELL
Reply to  snailSpace
8 months ago

Yeah I know I’m just manifesting

snailSpace
Reply to  CELL
8 months ago

It would be a good fit for him in any case. Backstroke university and all that.

Suiii
8 months ago

Kos will leave Tempe for San Antonio and transfer to the University of the Incarnate Word. Go Cards

Miself
Reply to  Suiii
8 months ago

Nah bro he’s going D2 at Dallas Baptist

D3Swim
Reply to  Miself
8 months ago

If only they had a swim team

Coco Chanel
Reply to  Suiii
8 months ago

I heard he sick of the NCAA and has decided to swim club at Purdue.

PFA
8 months ago

Clearly he’s gonna transfer to CWRU home of Peter meng. Has his eyes on Emil LaSida, Oliver Hudgins, and Fillion’s records.

Last edited 8 months ago by PFA
Spieker Pool Lap Swimmer
8 months ago

I really hope it doesn’t come down to Cal vs Texas for the interminable future. That isn’t good for college swimming or swimming in general.
I was (secretly) happy and relieved that the Sun Devils won this year. Cal had proven everything they needed to. The possibility of a third swimming superpower in the NCAA was exciting. That’s why Bowman’s move, while absolutely logical, felt disappointing to me at some level.

Last edited 8 months ago by Spieker Pool Lap Swimmer
Steve Nolan
Reply to  Spieker Pool Lap Swimmer
8 months ago

Ya, sorta just how it goes with most sports. The first time a new team wins a ‘ship: Oh cool! Fun! The third time: -_-

It’s just a bit more fun when there’s at least some kind of team battle.

Sweet Sweet Peter Rosen
Reply to  Spieker Pool Lap Swimmer
8 months ago

Did u miss the UVA recruiting class?

Horninco
Reply to  Sweet Sweet Peter Rosen
8 months ago

Will be impressed if they hold that together. Their men have never met the promise of their potential while the women have obviously been all-time great. If the 2025 classes all show up then they could be a top-3 team in 2026 if not next year, but there’s still some time until they sign

Howie
Reply to  Spieker Pool Lap Swimmer
8 months ago

Florida loses only 1 scorer from this years 3rd place squad. You might see yet another “newish” team champion in 2025. AGT for President!

aquajosh
Reply to  Howie
8 months ago

I don’t know if Jake can come back for a 5th year because of the transfer situation, but Adam can. That would definitely help.

About Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant is the mother of four daughters, all of whom swam in college. With an undergraduate degree from Princeton (where she was an all-Ivy tennis player) and an MBA from INSEAD, she worked for many years in the financial industry, both in France and the U.S. Anne is currently …

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