SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers how long it will take Bob Bowman to turn the Texas men into a true NCAA Championship contender:
Question: How long will it take Bob Bowman to rebuild the Texas men into a top two team at NCAAs?
RESULTS
- 1-2 Years – 53.5%
- 3-4 Years – 41.7%
- 5+ Years – 4.7%
The University of Texas men’s team recorded their lowest finish since 2005 this past season, placing 7th at the NCAA Championships at the end of March.
With legendary head coach Eddie Reese retiring after nearly a half-century at the helm, speculation swirled about who the next head coach would be for the most prestigious job in college swimming.
That position was filled less than 48 hours after the NCAA Championships concluded by another coaching legend, Bob Bowman, who had just wrapped up an epic journey at Arizona State that culminated in a national title.
With Bowman coming over from ASU, he brings some elite NCAA swimmers, likely including recent transfer portal entrants Hubert Kos, Owen McDonald and Zalan Sarkany.
We learned from Bowman on Friday that Leon Marchand won’t be part of the Longhorns college team next season, as the best male swimmer in the world will be turning pro, but nonetheless, Bowman figures to return Texas to the top of the NCAA.
The question is…when?
We polled SwimSwam readers on how long it will take Bowman to rebuild the Longhorns into a team that can finish in the top two, a place they finished in for eight straight championships from 2014 to 2022.
Coming out on top was 1-2 years, as 53.5% believe Texas will be in national title contention by 2026, if not next year.
On top of the additions coming over from ASU, the Longhorns have a solid foundation led by rising sophomores Will Modglin and Nate Germonprez, and figure to add David Johnston next season after he took an Olympic redshirt in 2023-24.
More than 41% of readers believe it will take longer, 3-4 years. Although the team will look drastically different in future years, Texas still finished 334.5 points behind NCAA champion ASU this past season, and 255.5 back of runner-up Cal (only scoring 189).
Less than 5% picked five years or more.
Bowman has already started pulling in recruits, and it will be interesting to see what he can do with such a storied program after building Arizona State from the ground up into a champion.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: Do redshirt seasons pay dividends in long course?
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The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner.
Scholarship offers to American 2025 verbal commits being taken away as we speak. 😡
More American swimmers will be heading to other schools. Texas will find it hard to be Texas. The real question is who is the new Texas (America’s Team)
Will he redshirt the whole team to get a championship?
I’ll take the under. ASU loses a lot, which leaves CAL, FLA and IND.
Texas has a good base of young swimmers and as Ricardo notes, they add 11 A finals, so far. I think they’re also getting an elite diver.
In the age of the portal, hire the hot coach and you can rebuild overnight, especially with Texas history and resources.
If they end up with McDonald, Kos, Sarkany and Johnston returns that already makes them a contender next season.
That’s 11 A finals.
They will probably add more than just that also in terms of transfers / returners.
Cooper Lucas will probably also be instant points.
Off those things alone their floor is like….3rd or 4th.
Very good recruiting class coming and also added DII swimmer Ben Sampson whose Top 3 times would have scored at Div I NCAA’s this year. Won’t take Bowman long.
Can he do it with Americans, like Eddie did for decades?
MP, Chase Kalisz, and Allison Schmitt are Americans aren’t they?
Unless there’s a biological difference between Americans and non-Americans I don’t see why he can’t do the same thing he’s been doing.
How many points from ASU Americans vs ASU Internationals?
UT has always prided themselves on winning with Americans! That was always one of Eddie’s legacies!
You just named 3 people that Bob did not recruit to college. I believe the op was making a comment about targeting and recruiting Americans to college and less so about developing swimmers from a specific place.
The french/spanish guy’s commitment to Texas just basically confirms that Bowman will continue to do what he’s been doing.
It’s a lot harder to convince the best Americans to come to a school that wasn’t even top 20? They built up and started getting the interest, 3 incoming guys are top 50 American Recruits. I’m sure there will be a lot of great Americans that come to Texas, but when you’re building a team from over 40th in the NCAA you’re going to have to find guys that care about the money and the coaching and thats it. 10 international full rides that score at ncaas will get you further than 20 half scholarship Americans that might make ncaas
No Leon = No Men’s Swimming Titles for the University of Texas
THE eyes of Texas are upon you, and they are glaring!
No Leon = NO ASU. . . .
The delusions of Texas fans need to be studied
Your envy is noted
Seriously, it’s not as if we are talking about turning SMU football into a top 4 program in two years.
And the poll wasn’t “ to win a championship” in two years, it was to contend which I would imply to mean have a mathematical shot on day 4. That’s not far fetched at all
I don’t think it’s envy, it’s just that the best of ASU’s college swimmers transferring to Texas is not a given, and Marchand follows Bob as a pro.
Unless Carson Foster decides to come back and swim at Texas now that Marchand won’t be denying him NCAA titles.