Swimming Video capture – Garrett McCaffrey / SwimSwam co-founder.
Video edit – Coleman Hodges / SwimSwam Production Manager.
ASU Swimming and Diving Coach Bob Bowman recently sat down with Swimswam’s Garrett McCaffrey for an exclusive interview. We have turned that interview into a 6-part mini series, Bowman Takes Tempe, running 1 episode each day of the week from May 31-June 5.
He’s fully staffed. He’s fully funded. He’s on the same page as every major player in the athletic department. You name it, and Bowman has it’s support coming into ASU as the new ring leader of the swimming and diving program. As we saw in our first episode of Bowman Takes Tempe, Coach Bowman is coming in with a vision of change, and it’s clear that his vision is fully supported in every avenue. This change will be big, and not just for the student-athletes of ASU.
Bowman says that he wants to “reinvent the way college swimming might be delivered”
This mean’s that Bowman believes ASU has both the academic and athletic foundations to build a culture that can breed creative thinkers who will go out and make a difference, in the pool and the classroom, as well as outside of them. Is this vision attainable? What problems might be presented along the way? Stay tuned for answers.
Coach Bowman is one of the greatest coaches in swimming history. Developing Michael Phelps, who delivered the greatest Olympic-run in history, often overshadows his long, storied career, but Bowman has had enormous success in all areas of his coaching life. Coach Bowman’s NBAC has developed countless elite athletes and swimmers competing at the college level. Bowman takes the reins at ASU Swimming and Diving as college swimming programs continue to get cut across the country. ASU’s choice to invest in Bowman and in swimming is beacon of light at this time in college swimming history.
Why is ASU getting all this free publicity/marketing? Ok, he got the job….now give some other programs/coaches/swimmers some publicity! Why do we have to have all the swim news outlets posting up another interview every other day??? Let him do his job and see what happens. There are a lot of other GREAT programs that are doing a great job and getting zero recognition from you! ENOUGH! MOVE ON!
It has nothing to do with collegiate swimming. The pool and the city are the motivation to be there, the college team is the key to get to that area. The swim lesson deal alone has got to be worth a fortune.
Not sure why people keep saying he moved to ASU just to train Phelps outdoor and he will leave after one year. That makes no sense. Those guys have access to any outdoor pool in the world. Tempe weather is totally different than Rio…. To me, it looks like that he found a perfect place to continue his coaching career post Phelps. Fully funded program, program sucked so it will only move up (no pressure), nice weather, control of one of the best pools in the country…. Perfect move for him and I think he will stay a long time!
I’m also trying to understand ASU’s motivation in this. Their swimming program has never been great. It’s not like they’re trying to restore their ASU’s former glory in a particular sport like Michigan hiring Harbaugh in football or Kentucky getting Calipari in basketball. Any ideas on ASU’s motivation?
There was an article in The Arizona Republic circa 6 weeks ago stating how the new AD is making huge hires (for example, the new wrestling coach and now Bob Bowman) to get the athletic teams improving. Seems like good news all around.
He believes in education. Guess Michael never got that message.
I just want to comment that I’m really enjoying this series of interviews! Whether you love Bowman or hate him, I agree with the statement that his appointment as Coach and ASU’s renewed commitment to its swimming program is a, “…beacon of hope…”, at this difficult time in the histry of NCAA swimming!
Bowman — you dogg. Nat’l championship in either men’s/women’s in 3 years (if he stays that long). I honestly heard he would jump ship after Rio — the only reason he came was to train Michael long course without any outside influence from the decaying NBAC program.
I completely agree with this comment. His move is all about Michael. He won’t be at ASU after Rio as he wasn’t at Michigan after Beijing. I still have a letter to the swim parents (dated 2005) of the club team at Michigan stating his long-term goals of transforming swimming in Ann Arbor and never before anywhere has there been this opportunity, blah, blah, blah. All they did was take, take, take including leaving the age group club with a hefty bill that Michael could have paid with his ‘walking around cash.’ Just a couple of users and ASU will find that out soon enough.
“Decaying NBAC program”???? While that “super group” has been taking some critical performance oriented hits lately, I think Bowman is merely enacting a pivot similar to the Michigan years. I can’t imagine Bowman giving up on Schmitty, Kalisz, Dwyer or some of the others (Agnel… that’s another story…).Surely they’d follow?
But please, elaborate…
Dwyer jumped ship a while ago.
Bowman — you dogg. Nat’l championship in either men’s/women’s in 3 years (if he stays that long). I honestly heard he would jump ship after Rio — the only reason he came was to train Michael long course outside without any outi