The LA Current of the International Swimming League (ISL) have announced David Marsh as the team’s head coach for the inaugural 2019 season. He will be supported by assistant coaches Brett Hawke and Jack Roach.
Marsh is currently the head coach of Team Elite – a professional swimming squad based out of San Diego, California, along with a newly-formed corresponding age group program. Marsh’s athletes are spread out around the league, though among his trainees on the Current roster are Kathleen Baker, Michael Chadwick, and Kendyl Stewart.
This staff will be a reuniting of Marsh and Brett Hawke. When the two worked together at Auburn, first with Hawke as an athlete and then in 2006 as an assistant coach, the program was arguably the best in the nation. Hawke eventually rose to head coach at Auburn himself in 2009, but resigned in 2018. He now works as the development director for swim clinics and camps at Fitter & Faster Swim Tours, and coaches a small group out of Florida that includes 2019 World silver medalist in the 50 free Bruno Fratus (who has opted out of the ISL).
Jack Roach, meanwhile, is the Director of Coaching and Athlete Development at Tide Swimming: a position he has held since 2017. He has a long history in the sport, including 10 years as an assistant for the women’s team at the University of Texas that saw them win 2 NCAA titles, as a coach of the Mexican National Team from 2008-2008, as the National Junior Team Director at USA Swimming, and as a support coach for the US Olympic Team at the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympic Games.
“I am thrilled to be able to bring together such an accomplished and respected coaching staff to LA Current,” said LA Current general manager Lenny Krayzelburg. “With David, Brett and Jack we have the best of the best who have achieved continued success at the highest level of our sport. ISL’s vision is to have best athletes in the world competing in a team-centric concept. Our coaching staff thrives in maximizing potential of world class athletes, in addition to having tremendous success, experience and knowledge of team competitions. I am looking forward having this coaching group lead LA Current to league championship this season.”
The LA Current will open their 2019 season as part o the Group B meet in Lewisville, Texas from October 19th-20th before heading on to Budapest from October 26th-27th and the Derby meet from November 16th-17th in Washington DC to conclude their regular season.
2019 LA Current Roster:
| LA CURRENT | |
| Nathan Adrian | Kathleen Baker |
| Dylan Carter | Amy Bilquist |
| Michael Chadwick |
Jhennifer Conceição
|
| Jack Conger | Ella Eastin |
| Matt Grevers | Béryl Gastaldello |
| Ryan Held | Margo Geer |
| Chase Kalisz | Annie Lazor |
| Will Licon | Katie McLaughlin |
| Felipe Lima | Andi Murez |
| Ryan Murphy | Farida Osman |
| Blake Pieroni | Leah Smith |
| Josh Prenot | Kendyl Stewart |
| Andrew Seliskar | Aly Tetzloff |
| Tom Shields |
“Let Go” from Auburn, “Released” from Swim Mac, “No Contract Renewal” at UCSD, What will be the next “real reason(s)” for David’s next move. ISL seems “very safe” for him. I think more clubs should “pay big money” to David to “consult” and fix their team cultures. His “real” history is so impressive, he is a real “gift” to swimming.
There’s always “wants to spend more time with family” to fall back on.
this is so original: the usual trolls get the text for the new David Marsh post, they quickly get in line to post hateful comments and upvote each other from 4 different browsers. Get a life.
What has David Marsh done in 5 years? He’s had some top swimmers in the world come swim for him but what has he done?
Made them worse.
This is like when someone in the nba hires Mike Brown as a head coach
But at least he coaches the team, not well, but he coaches.
RIP LA Current’s chances of winning the league
Watch everyone magically regress at anything over 50m just from Marsh being their head coach hahaha.
what a great comment! Did anyone help?
So lemme get this straight you have marsh who has been kicked out of like every pool he’s ever been to and Hawke who left his team at ncaas. Um that’s cool
Coach Marsh is arguably the greatest ind ever in coaching. ISL is very smart to involve this genius. Coach Marsh can lift the league with his brilliant marketing and persona. Bravo – Now I am a FAN of this team…how can I get my t-shirt, shaker and hat? What are the team colors?
I’m going big thumbs up for the satire.
The greatest coach ever??? If you’re metrics are bankrupting teams, then you are correct. I think what made him successful were the folks he had surround him.
These pro teams are a joke, and will eventually die out as interest wanes.
are you 5?
These coaches for the ISL are about as important for the actual events as the coaches for the NBA All-Star Game. It’s becoming a farce.
Becoming? This farce is about controlling sports betting on swimming in Europe and using the athletes and “coaches” for legitimacy.
Has interview where he says he was too distracted and didn’t have the summer he wanted. Now this…interesting moves.
Next thing you know, he’ll be wearing shorts over yoga pants.
I wonder if this opportunity had anything to do with him stepping down from his collegiate coaching job.
I doubt it. He stepped down from his collegiate job because he had a dispute with the athletic department over his use of the pool for the pro team. Other active college coaches are coaching in the league.
No, and he didn’t “step down”, his contract was not renewed.