Courtesy: Cal Athletics
SAN FRANCISCO – California head swimming & diving coach David Durden has been named the Pac-12 Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year for the 12th time in his brilliant career. This comes on the heels of Durden guiding the Golden Bears to a second-consecutive NCAA Championship.
Durden, who just wrapped up his 16th season as the Bears’ head coach, was also named the 2023 CSCAA National Men’s Coach of the Year for the seventh time earlier this week. Durden led Cal to its eighth NCAA championship all time – the sixth in his tenure – on March 22-25 in Minneapolis. In a stunning display of the depth of the program, the Bears became just the second program to win only one individual championship while taking home the overall team title at the NCAA Championships. Sophomore Destin Lasco earned his second consecutive national championship in the 200-yard backstroke, the Bears finished the meet with multiple athletes scoring multiple points.
It is the sixth straight year and 12th time in a 14-year span that Durden has been named the Pac-12 Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year. He trails only Stanford’s Skip Kenny (20) for the most all-time Pac-12 men’s swimming coach of the year honors. Between Durden and the late Nort Thorton, Cal’s head coaches have earned the award 16 times since 1978.
2023 Pac-12 Men’s Swimming Awards
Swimmer of the Year: Léon Marchand, Arizona State
Freshman of the Year: Jonny Kulow, Arizona State
Coach of the Year: David Durden, California
2022 Pac-12 Men’s Diving Awards
Diver of the Year: Shangfei Wang, USC
Freshman of the Year: Laurent Gosselin-Paradis, USC
Coach of the Year: Hongping Li, USC
Cal’s Pac-8/10/12 Men’s Swimming Coaches of the Year (16)
1978 » Nort Thornton
1979 » Nort Thornton
1980 » Nort Thornton
1999 » Nort Thornton
2010 » David Durden
2011 » David Durden
2012 » David Durden
2013 » David Durden
2014 » David Durden
2016 » David Durden
2018 » David Durden
2019 » David Durden
2020 » David Durden
2021 » David Durden
2022 » David Durden
2023 » David Durden
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This should have been Bowman. Everyone at the start of the season expected Cal to win the Pac and NCAAs. No one picked ASU to win either or be runner up in either. They WON Pac-12s without any diving points and finished runner up at NCAAs going away over amazing Texas and Florida teams. Bowman got robbed.
Just waiting here for the “let’s take a look at Cal’s roster” comment
This was Bowman’s, easily. Completely robbed.
How can you give it to Durden when Bowman did more with CONSIDERABLY less talent.
Also, everyone on ASU dropped time this year, compare that to Cal lol…
I’m no fan of either, but this deserved to go to Bowman
Honestly, I probably would have given it to Bowman. I obviously know Cal won NCAAs, but ASU won the conference championship meet.