U.S. Olympic Trials: Dave Durden Named Coach of the Meet

2016 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS

The University of California- Berkeley’s head coach Dave Durden was named the “Coach of the Meet” in tonight’s closing ceremonies after placing six swimmers on the 2016 U.S. Olympic team. His athletes are listed below:

  • Ryan Murphy (100, 200 backstroke)
  • Josh Prenot (200 breaststroke)
  • Nathan Adrian (50 free, 100 free, 4×100 free relay)
  • Anthony Ervin (50 free, 4×100 free relay) ***Ervin has been training with SwimMAC Carolina for a short while leading up to trials, but is still partially representing Cal Aquatics
  • Tom Shields (100, 200 butterfly)
  • Jacob Pebley (200 backstroke)

Today, Durden was also named one of the three assistant coaches on the Olympic men’s team. Bob Bowman of North Baltimore and Arizona State will be the men’s head coach, and Durden will join Mike Bottom of Michigan and Jack Bauerle of Georgia as the assistant coaches.

Durden has been the head coach of the Cal men for nine years. He was named the NCAA Coach of the Year in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014, having coached 22 individual and 13 relay champions. Cal has placed either first of second in every NCAA Championships since 2010.

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Enchanted Rock
7 years ago

Yes Durden is a great coach- we all already knew that- and the spectacular trials results further bear that out. He got his big guns ready and they delivered big time. No one can take that from him. I hope they tear it up in Rio.

But beyond his stars, the Cal guys, especially the underclassman, didn’t have a very good trials, with only a few swimming at night. He’s had some good classes the past few years but they are not making the big drops even his lesser guys were making a few years before. Selisklar hasn’t even really gotten much better. You can’t have it all.

California Swim Mom
7 years ago

In summer 2012, when Stanford Women’s Swimming was searching for a coach to replace Lea Maurer, I commented on both the Swim Swam and Swimming World sites, that they should look at Yuri Suguiyaman then still a young, albeit star coach at NCAP.

Replies to my posts assured me that it was a ludicrous suggestion because Yuri would never leave the NCAP job coaching his star swimmer Katie Ledecky.

Then-Cal Men’s Assistant Coach Greg Meehan went on to get the job as the Stanford Women’s Swimming Coach.

By October 2012, Yuri was by Dave Durden’s side coaching the Men’s Swimming team at Cal as an Assistant Coach. I sometimes wonder whether Dave read my comments suggestion in summer 2012.… Read more »

Johnston
7 years ago

Also remember Yuri developed Katie ladecky through 2012. He got little cred for that bc he moved on right before her gold medal.

SwimGeek
Reply to  Johnston
7 years ago

Minor correction – he moved on right AFTER her 2012 gold medal.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
7 years ago

Incredible Cal Team on this Usa team – very impressive . Well done for this overall Team of coaches .They will all do great things within one month .

completelyconquered
7 years ago

Durden is awesome. Completely deserving. And, Yuri totally deserves more recognition.

Attila the Hunt
7 years ago

Very well deserved!
It’s not often that one coach is clearly the most successful at an Olympics trials level, but this is one of those.

Go bears
7 years ago

He’s daddy

Years of Plain Suck
7 years ago

And don’t forget Durden’s “Coaching Tree”: Stanford coach Greg Meehan who was Durden’s assistant until after the 2012 Olympics was also named a US asst Oly coach this weekend!

About Hannah Hecht

Hannah Hecht

Hannah Hecht grew up in Kansas and spent most of her childhood trying to convince coaches to let her swim backstroke in freestyle sets. She took her passion to Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa and swam at NAIA Nationals all four years. After graduating in 2015, she moved to …

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