Competitor Coach of the Month: Steve Bultman, Texas A&M

Competitor Coach of the Month is a recurring SwimSwam feature shedding light on a U.S.-based coach who has risen above the competition. As with any item of recognition, Competitor Coach of the Month is a subjective exercise meant to highlight one coach whose work holds noteworthy context – perhaps a coach who was clearly in the limelight, or one whose work fell through the cracks a bit more among other stories. If your favorite coach wasn’t selected, feel free to respectfully recognize them in our comment section.

Just two women’s teams hold the top time this month in 14 different NCAA events. It’s no secret that Stanford, owner of 8 of those events, is a powerhouse. But the team with 6 top rankings is far less hyped: coach Steve Bultman‘s Texas A&M Aggies.

The Aggies currently match Stanford with 2 nation-leading relays – the 200 free relay and 400 medley relay. Their lowest-ranking relay is 4th (the 800 free) and they are 3rd in the 400 free and a narrow 2nd in the 200 medley.

Bultman’s swimmers have November’s fastest times in the 50 free (Beryl Gastaldello, 21.69), 200 back (Lisa Bratton, 1:50.10), 200 breast (Sydney Pickrem, 2:05.96) and 200 IM (Pickrem 1:53.38). And the Aggies are looking incredibly deep in the breaststroke, with 3 swimmers ranked inside the top 8 nationally in the 100 breast and a whopping 5 in the top 11 for the 200.

While no one is expecting anyone to upset Stanford for the NCAA title this year, Texas A&M, ranked third in our most recent Power Rankings, are making a case to be the NCAA’s clear-cut second-best team.

About Competitor Swim

Since 1960, Competitor Swim® has been the leader in the production of racing lanes and other swim products for competitions around the world. Competitor lane lines have been used in countless NCAA Championships, as well as 10 of the past 13 Olympic Games. Molded and assembled using U.S. – made components, Competitor lane lines are durable, easy to set up and are sold through distributors and dealers worldwide.

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