The Arizona Sun Devils have announced that the team will not be retaining head swimming coach Dorsey Tierney-Walker for the 2015-16 season. ASU Vice President for University Athletics announced that a national search is now underway for a new head coach that is “the best fit for the program, university and community”, citing that the “athletics department, university and community expect our swimming program to compete for individual, conference and national titles and produce All-Americans and Olympians.”
“I have informed Dorsey Tierney-Walker that she will not be retained as the head swimming coach at Arizona State University,” the statement began.
Dorsey Tierney-Walker has been the head coach of Arizona State’s men and women’s programs as of May 2009, and represented just the second head coach in ASU’s history to direct both the men’s and women’s program. Dorsey Tierney-Walker was also the first woman to coach a men’s sport at ASU since the combined archery program was headed by Sheri Rhodes.
This year, the Sun Devil men finished fifth place overall at Pac-12s, while the women finished in seventh place. The women went on to tie for 34th at the 2015 Division I NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships.
Read the entire statement here.
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So sad and shocking to hear the news. ASU men’s swimming had been the top choice for my son all year. But now I don’t know if I would support his decision to swim at ASU. I know this was a business decision. But ASU is letting go of legendary coaches. Trust me, after one or two years of recruiting successfully, ASU swimmers were going to score big at NCAA’s. This decision was made premature.
Legendary coaches? Who are you talking about? DTW had been anything but legendary since coming to ASU. ASU should be a stronger choice for your son without DTW there.
DTW ran the men’s team into the ground, could not recruit, and had the emotional capacity of a gnat. It wasn’t until Dan Kessler arrived that the men’s team started making any headway in recruiting. Dorsey was responsible for recruiting only 1 of the All-Americans during her tenure, Tristin Baxter, all others were leftover from the Chasson era, and she merely managed them. I’m sure those like Edjervick and Kuczynski would credit Demerae Christianson more-so than Dorsey with the success they had at ASU. Any coaching abilities Dorsey ever had were left behind at Auburn. In addition to her poor coaching and poor management, her personal issues too often spilled over onto the pool deck. This decision should have come… Read more »
Mike krzyzewski is a legendary coach. Vince Lombardi is a legendary coach. Eddie Reece is a legendary coach. DTW is far from ever being a legendary coach. If you were not swimming at ASU for the last 6 years then you have no idea what happened. There is a reason the number of peoples swimming careers ended too early. DTW. Why has a consistent coaching staff not been kept? People didn’t like working for her as much as swimmers didn’t like swimming for her. This choice was several years to late. Several off deck issues came into play as well. Couldn’t be more excited for the future of sun devil swimming.
As an ASU Alum and active supporter of the program, I would urge you to consider that this decision, while it may not be agreeable to everyone, is definitely another strong sign that ASU’s athletic department is committed to advancing the ball for all aquatic programs. The MPAC improvements, the formation of endowments (so that recruiting esp for the men’s team can be accomplished without doubts about the program’s operational funding year to year) are all moves that show that ASU will compete again at the top of the PAC in all the aquatic sports. Go Devils!
You really know nothing about swimming if you think DTW was/is a legendary coach. Could not recruit, could not develop. Your son is better off elsewhere.
Breathed new life? You must be confused. She ran the men’s team into the ground, could not recruit, and had the emotional capacity of a gnat. It wasn’t until Dan Kessler arrived that the men’s team started making any headway in recruiting. Dorsey was responsible for recruiting only 1 of the All-Americans during her tenure, Tristin Baxter, all others were leftover from the Chasson area, and she merely managed them. I’m sure those like Edjervick and Kuczynski would credit Demerae Christianson more-so than Dorsey with the success they had at ASU. Any coaching abilities Dorsey ever had were left behind at Auburn. In addition to her poor coaching and poor management, her personal issues too often spilled over onto the… Read more »
Disregard “Breathed new life? You must be confused” copied from comment I made on swimmingworld.
Well you obviously do not know ASU’s swimming program. The budget DTW had to deal with was equal to the amount of money I pay for my children to go to elementary public school. Did I metion that my kids go to a public school? In addition, ASU’s athletic department allows only one morning swim practice a week. If ASU wants a successful swim program, they should look at Texas or Cal and take notes. NW_Sundevil, your comments were a bit harsh. Did you get cut as a walk-on…..
“ASU’s athletic department allows only one morning swim practice a week” um, what? The athletic dept has no mandate on their practices. Practice hours are mandated on an NCAA level. Your ignorance is all too obvious. Go home Will Wilson.
Both your statement about funding and the one morning practice a week are incredibly false.
The ASU program has a TON of potential. Let’s compare two programs, ASU and NC State. DTW had been at ASU for 6 seasons, Coach Holloway has been at NCSU for four seasons.
The Wolfpack swimming program has rocketed upwards toward the elite level and the ASU program seems to have been going nowhere fast.
From the outside looking in, a coaching change at ASU seems like the best thing to do for their S&D program. JMHO.