Herbie Behm Succeeds Bob Bowman as Head Coach at Arizona State

Herbie Behm -- Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Herbie Behm Succeeds Bob Bowman as Head Coach at Arizona State

Less than 48 hours after the Arizona State men captured the NCAA team title, the program’s first-ever win on the national level, head coach Bob Bowman departed Tempe to take over as Director of Swimming at the University of Texas. Following that development, the Sun Devils have turned to Herbie Behm to lead their program into the future.

Behm has been part of the Arizona State staff for six seasons, most recently as associate head coach (since 2022) and the point-man running the sprint groups at Mona Plummer Aquatic Center. Behm previously coached at the University of Utah, and he swam for Arizona State from 2010 through 2013, graduating with a degree in psychology.

New leader in Tempe 🔱#SunDevil4Life Herbie Behm (@SirHerb_the3rd) is the new head coach of Sun Devil Swim! 🫡#ForksUp /// #O2V pic.twitter.com/EOPGOkUswI

— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) April 1, 2024

Bowman endorsed his former team’s move to elevate Behm. In a social media post shared by Arizona State, Bowman said, “Herbie is the brightest young coach in America, and becoming the head coach at ASU is a perfect opportunity for him. 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!”

In Arizona State’s rise into national contender status, Behm revitalized the sprint group that created enough depth to power ASU to national-caliber relays and, eventually, a pair of squads that won national titles last week. That sprint group under Behm’s guidance has included Jonny Kulow, Jack Dolan, Patrick Sammon, Grant House and Carter Swift, while professional swimmers including Ryan Held, Simone Manuel and Olivia Smoliga have all relocated to Tempe to train with Behm.

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