Cal Unveils New Swimming Structure, Still Looking for One More Assistant

Cal has confirmed the structure of its new-look coaching staff ahead of the start of the 2022-2023 collegiate swimming & diving season.

As previously revealed, former men’s head coach Dave Durden will serve as the Acting Director of Swimming & Diving for both the men’s and women’s programs at Cal, effectively combining the two programs.

Under his watch, new hire Matt Bowe will serve as an associate head coach for the men’s program, David Marsh will serve as an associate head coach for the women’s program, and new hire Jesse Moore will serve as an assistant coach for both programs.

Pei Lin will continue as the diving coach for both programs.

The 2022-2023 Cal coaching staff was already going to have a very different flavor than did last season’s group, with both assistant coaches and the head diving coach departing. Earlier this summer, though, bombshell accusations of abuse by current and former members of the Cal women’s team against head coach Teri McKeever pushed the changes even further. McKeever is currently on administrative leave.

Marsh joined the program late last season as a fill-in assistant coach for the men’s team when then-assistant Chase Kreitler went on paternity leave. The Cal men went on to win the NCAA title, and Kreitler left in the offseason to become the head coach at Pitt.

The availability or a coach with the prestige of Marsh so late in the summer is the cog that makes this setup possible. Marsh was Durden’s boss at Auburn in the 2000s, and in almost 20 years at the helm of the Tigers he led the men’s team to seven NCAA titles and the women’s team to five. Durden was on the Auburn staff for six of those titles.

The fact that neither team has, at present, a particularly-robust post-grad group also helps.

Matt Bowe, who was hired away from Ohio State in the offseason, will retain the duties that he was originally hired for. Jesse Moore, who was hired as the women’s assistant coach and served as the acting head coach early in the summer, while add responsibilities working with both the men’s and women’s program.

Under a program with separate operations for men’s and women’s teams, each gender is allowed one head coach, one assistant coach, and a diving coach. Combined-gender programs, on the other hand, can have up to five swimming coaches and a diving coach (as the most common of other plausible permutations, like multiple diving coaches).

That means the Cal coaching staff has room to bring in one more assistant, which Durden confirmed to SwimSwam on Thursday that they planned to do.

This also means that if McKeever were reinstated during the season (which seems unlikely, though the investigation is still ongoing), Cal would have to make more moves to stay under the NCAA-mandated limit.

Cal athletes are reported to have learned about this move about a month ago, pending final paperwork, and at least one who entered the NCAA transfer portal decided to stay at Cal, for now. Isabelle Stadden, the two-time defending Pac-12 Champion in the 200 back, revealed in July that she was staying in Berkeley.

Another transfer portal entrant Lea Polonsky still has Cal listed in her bio. Several of the other portal entries (Emma DavidsonIzzy Ivey, and Ayla Spitz) were entries to explore future seasons of eligibility after completing their undergraduate degrees either this fall or next spring.

Cal has not yet released their full rosters for the 2022-2023 season.

 

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Radiogaga
2 years ago

Wow Cal is looking unstoppable with Coach Marsh onboard. He is a true humanitarian, greatest coach ever, humble and kind!

Time For Barta To Go
Reply to  Radiogaga
2 years ago

opening downvote record book …..

Douglass Wharrram Fan Club
Reply to  Radiogaga
2 years ago

Just wondering about the “humanitarian” part of this. Was it when SwimMAC was flailing to recoup the money they lost to him?

SoCal Daddy
2 years ago

This is great news for us folks down in San Diego. Cal, you can have him. Thank you so much!

necho
Reply to  SoCal Daddy
2 years ago

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
2 years ago

Hopefully the coaching change will rejuvenate Abbey Weitzeil (DOB 12/03/1996). The women’s 4 x 100 meter freestyle relay needs a revitalized Abbey Weitzeil.

Yikes
Reply to  Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
2 years ago

Why are you including her date of birth? Another weird take from relay names guy

Gator chomp
2 years ago

After multiple years of coaching in the swimswam comments I believe I qualify for the position (I would even change my username)

Guerra
2 years ago

Put the band back together… Kim Brackin!

John
Reply to  Braden Keith
2 years ago

Just missing the late Ralph Crocker.

Guerra
Reply to  John
2 years ago

totally agree! Ralph was the best!

Guerra
Reply to  Braden Keith
2 years ago

My sources tell me it’s in the works!

Longerhorn44
Reply to  Braden Keith
2 years ago

Not sure hiring someone who left Texas with some eerily similar complaints to those against Teri is the move here…

Texan
Reply to  Guerra
2 years ago

Can you upvote this as a joke and downvote it as a serious suggestion at the same time? This seriously made me laugh until someone mentioned Ralph. Obviously wasn’t around him everyday (I always got along with Teri) but I always thought Ralph was a great guy and miss seeing him on deck. But if you want to do more damage to the Cal swim program, sure, bring back Kim. Swimmers will love the team meetings….

NB1
2 years ago

so there used to be a man’s head coach? And a women’s head coach? And now there isn’t? I am confused.

SCCOACH
Reply to  NB1
2 years ago

The women’s head coach is on leave and will probably eventually be let go

We also landed on the moon

NB1
Reply to  SCCOACH
2 years ago

thank you that wasn’t my question. But don’t let that stop you from trying to be mean and funny, some day you will get there

CADWALLADER GANG
Reply to  NB1
2 years ago

cope

SCCOACH
Reply to  NB1
2 years ago

Oh I’m here to happily answer questions without snark, but it’s hard to tell what you are asking.

I think you are asking why they didn’t decide to hire an interim women’s head coach that is separate from the men’s team. If that is what you are asking I assume it is because they couldn’t find a coach of Durden’s caliber in a short amount of time and Durden was willing to do it, so it was an easy choice to go with Durden. But that’s just a theory.

Yikes
Reply to  NB1
2 years ago

Google is your friend

Argentina on top 🇦🇷
2 years ago

, off topic but I think it’s time for Swimswam‘s weekly breakdown.

And since you were absent last weekend, I would love to hear your thoughts on chlorine daddy’s WRs/WJRs at Euros and your predictions for next week’s world juniors.

ScottyJ
2 years ago

I wonder if the new hire will be some sort of exciting legal entity?

Time For Barta To Go
Reply to  ScottyJ
2 years ago

“LLC” is already taken. Perhaps “Esq”?

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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