Head coach Bob Bowman got a pay raise in Austin after leading the Sun Devils to their first national title.
Bowman was named Texas’ Director of Swimming and Diving and the men’s head coach on April 1. Bowman’s departure came after Texas head coach Eddie Reese retired after coaching the Longhorns for 46 years and winning 15 national team titles.
Bowman’s new job in the Lone Star State comes with a substantial pay increase. According to his contract, Bowman’s base salary is $400,000 and will increase yearly by $10,000 up to $450,000 in 2030. The contract is worth over $2.1 million through August 31, 2030.
Part of Bowman’s deal with Texas is performance incentives that can pay out up to 67% of his salary if the program “reaches certain levels of achievement." The contract also makes Bowman the leader of the powerhouse program through Aug. 31, 2030.
"When we went searching for the next head coach of our Swimming and Diving program, we knew it would be challenging and that we had to find the absolute best to continue our proud tradition as the nation's premier program," Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte said in a press release on April 1. "We did just that with Bob Bowman, whose efforts building the Arizona State men's squad into a National Champion are truly historic and monumental."
His base pay in Texas surpasses his pay in Tempe. According to an ASU spokesperson, Bowman made $356,525.05 off his salary and bonuses collected from his last full contract year.
The pay raise is no surprise to anyone familiar with Bowman’s impressive coaching resume. Bowman famously coached Michael Phelps and led Team USA at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. He has been at the helm of the ASU swim and dive team since the 2015-16 season.
Bowman’s time in Tempe saw him coach All-American swimmers, win numerous Pac-12 individual titles and the program’s first NCAA championship with junior Léon Marchand. Bowman said he loved his time coaching at ASU, but is excited to the opportunity with the Longhorns.
“It's been a dream of mine since I was a young coach and to have it be fulfilled is an amazing thing,” Bowman said in the press release. “Taking on this new role makes sense because Texas is entering a new era, and I'm uniquely positioned to help the program move forward in an innovative and reimagined way.”
Edited by Walker Smith, Angelina Steel and Shane Brennan
Reach the reporter at jcbarron@asu.edu and follow @jackcbarron on X.
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Jack is a senior studying sports journalism. This is his fourth semester with The State Press. He has also worked at Radio Sucesos and XPR Sport Experience in Argentina.
