Marsh to be Honored by Auburn University

AUBURN, Alabama, September 23. DAVID Marsh, who has molded the Auburn University men’s and women’s swimming programs into national powers, will be presented the 2005 Walter Gilbert Award on Saturday, during halftime of the Tigers’ football game with Western Kentucky. The Gilbert Award is presented annually to a former Auburn athlete who has distinguished himself/herself after graduation. The honor is named for Walter Gilbert, a three-time All-American selection as a center and who later became vice president of Texaco's European Oil Operations.

"This is an extremely humbling honor for me," Marsh said. "From the heart, this is truly one of the greatest honors that can be bestowed on an Auburn person."

Marsh has been the head coach at Auburn since 1990 and has guided the men to five NCAA titles (1997, 1999, 2003-05). He also led the women to consecutive NCAA championships from 2002-04. Combined, the programs have won 14 Southeastern Conference crowns under Marsh’s watch. In 2003, Marsh became the first man to guide the men’s and women’s programs to NCAA titles in the same year. He repeated the feat in 2004.

"David Marsh is truly an incredible Auburn man," said athletics director Jay Jacobs. "David was not only an outstanding student-athlete at Auburn, but, through tireless work and dedication, has made the Tigers' swimming and diving program one of the most successful programs, in any sport, in the country."

A native of Miami, Fla., Marsh has watched his athletes excel both in the pool and in the classroom. Marsh has coached 262 swimmers to 1,207 All-America honors, 89 NCAA individual titles and 254 SEC individual titles. In 15 years, 192 swimmers have been chosen to the SEC Academic Honor Roll with 35 being named Academic All-American. On the international level, Marsh has coached 22 swimmers to Olympic berths.

Marsh has been named National Coach of the Year on eight occasions and has been named SEC Coach of the Year 12 times. Marsh was a five-time All-American backstroker as an Auburn athlete and was ranked sixth in the world in 1980. He graduated with a degree in business administration in 1981.

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