Cal Head Coach Dave Durden Discusses Impressive Recruiting Class

In the video below, Cal men’s swimming & diving head coach Dave Durden discusses his 10-man class that signed their National Letters of Intent last week to swim for the Cal Golden Bears beginning in the fall of 2014.

This class has been a hot topic of discussion. Some people are impressed by it, others are underwhelmed based on who didn’t sign there. Others still have commented that they didn’t think they were impressed by it, but then they really looked, and were impressed.

Here’s the thing: this is a big class (right around 10 is where Cal’s per-class sweet spot has been the last few years) and everyone in the class has NCAA qualifying potential as a freshman or a sophomore, and in many cases NCAA scoring potential in those first two years as well.

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swimfan25
10 years ago
Brad
Reply to  swimfan25
10 years ago

Thanks!

Brad
10 years ago

Don’t see the video with Coach Durden’s comments . . .

Swimcrazy
10 years ago

‘Up and coming’ programs

Swimcrazy
10 years ago

I think we all know that all these ‘top schools’ will get high rank recruits year after year. It’s just the luxury of being established programs.

I would like to hear more from coaches at the ‘up-incoming’ programs. Would love to hear their 2 cents about their recruiting class and their strategy to land big recruits. Some of those ‘lower rank’ schools nabbed some pretty good recruits (ex. Princeton, NC State, Indiana – on the men’s side)

PAC12BACKER
Reply to  Swimcrazy
10 years ago

Indiana University (IU) and up and coming program? Say what?

PAC12BACKER
Reply to  PAC12BACKER
10 years ago

I don’t consider IU an up and coming program. They have always been relatively up, Unless you call a consistent 8th to 14th place NCAA spot and Big Ten runner-up an up & comer.

swimcrazy
Reply to  PAC12BACKER
10 years ago

You are right! my bad, shouldve done my homework. Let me re-phrase that with ‘lower rank’

PAC12BACKER
10 years ago

It’s a really very good class. Surf’s up! I like the well positiioned NCAA championship trophy during the interview. Still sounds like diving is a bit of an afterthought. Don’t know what the diving coaching is like there but they nabbed a great young diver.

Finally Durden goes to the CIF-SS championship meets. It’s about time.

duckduckgoose
10 years ago

Durden addressed Cal’s most pressing need (breast), continues to erase a long-term weakness (distance), and builds on diving too. Throw in top ten recruits Gornay. Lynch, and Silverthorn, and this class is the top ranked class in the country. Don’t understand talk of downgrading because they didn’t get Dressel or Schooling. USC was the top ranked class last year without Conger and Murphy Cal’s already overqualifying and with this additional depth that trend will continue indefinitely. Makes spending to add a diver even more significant.

10 years ago

This class is really good. It’s my #1, but I can see an argument for Texas.

Cal. Durden. SMASH.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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