On Monday, Sun Devil swimming head coach Bob Bowman was named the new Director of Swimming & Diving at the University of Texas. Assistant head coach Herbie Behm was named Bowman's successor the same day.
"Herbie is the brightest young coach in America, and becoming the head coach at ASU is the perfect opportunity for him," Bowman said. "He was my trusted partner in building our championship program, and he will lead the Sun Devils to many more milestones in the future. I couldn't be happier for Herbie or for ASU."
Two days after the Sun Devils won their first-ever NCAA national championship, Bowman left the program he had coached for the past nine seasons. He was named the men's swim CSCAA Division I Coach of the Year this season.
ASU scored 532.5 points to win the NCAAs, outscoring the next-closest team, California, by 79. Individually, junior Leon Marchand won three championships in the 200 breaststroke, 400 Individual Medley, and 500 freestyle, along with being on the championship-winning 400 freestyle relay and 400 medley relay teams. Freshman Ilya Kharun won the 200 butterfly championship, and sophomore Zalan Sarkany also won the 1650 freestyle title. Texas finished seventh in the meet.
READ MORE: ASU wins first men's swim & dive NCAA national championship
Bowman coached five NCAA champions in his 13-year college career. He coached the men’s team to a top-five Pac-12 finish every year spent in Tempe, disregarding 2021, when the entire team was redshirted.
Bowman is the longtime mentor of Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in any sport with 23 gold medals. Bowman served as the men's head coach for Team USA at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and worked as an assistant coach in the previous three Summer Olympics.
Behm has been the program's associate head coach since April 2022. He is a former ASU swimmer from 2010 to 2013. Behm coached the 2018 Pac-12 Champion and All-American 200 medley relay at Utah. He also was a coach on the USA and Puerto Rican National teams. Before arriving in Utah, he coached Phoenix Swim Club in Arizona.
Edited by Alfred Smith III, Walker Smith and Shane Brennan
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Vincent Deangelis is a full-time reporter for the sports department at The State Press. He has previously worked for Arizona PBS and AZPreps365.com.Â
