{"id":529969,"date":"2023-06-22T09:48:29","date_gmt":"2023-06-22T16:48:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=529969"},"modified":"2023-06-22T09:48:29","modified_gmt":"2023-06-22T16:48:29","slug":"a-garden-in-the-desert-how-bob-bowman-has-led-a-dynamic-surge-at-arizona-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/a-garden-in-the-desert-how-bob-bowman-has-led-a-dynamic-surge-at-arizona-state\/","title":{"rendered":"A Garden In the Desert: Bob Bowman Has Led a Dynamic Surge At Arizona State"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Garden In the Desert: How Bob Bowman Has Led a Dynamic Surge At Arizona State<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Bob Bowman<\/strong> took over the head-coaching duties at Arizona State University in 2015, the task facing him was daunting\u2014to say the least. He was charged with growing a program from basically nothing into something respectable…and then into something special. And now, eight years later, the longtime coach can claim success, as he has proven that a garden\u2014collegiate and professional\u2014can sprout with the right combination of belief, attention, direction and patience.<\/em><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a prevailing notion that the desert is not a fertile landscape. Too hot. Too dry. Barren. Just not the most conducive place to plant and grow. Ah, but isn\u2019t it important not to be drawn in by these predispositions? Isn\u2019t it important to believe that the so-called impossible is doable, provided a little foresight is adopted?<\/p>\n

The day he accepted the head-coaching role at Arizona State University, Bob Bowman<\/strong> had nothing to prove in the sport. He already boasted Hall of Fame credentials, having guided several athletes to Olympic and international success. He had led the University of Michigan to Big Ten Conference titles. And, of course, he took the chisel to the greatest sculpture this sport has ever seen: Michael Phelps<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

So, why did Bowman\u2014in the spring of 2015\u2014opt for a cross-country move from Baltimore to Tempe? Why would he take the reins of a college program that was a doormat…and less than a decade earlier was temporarily axed? Why would he start anew at a locale lacking tradition, when tradition oozed from the doors at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club?<\/p>\n

Sometimes, the answer is simple.<\/p>\n

\u201cI needed a challenge,\u201d Bowman said.<\/p>\n

GENERATING A TURNAROUND<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Bowman first stepped foot on the Arizona State University campus, there were no visions of instantaneous climbs up the Pac-12 Conference ladder. This program was in the doldrums, and only time and dedication would elevate its status. Consequently, Bowman went to work, seeking out small victories. Help athletes cut time. Enhance the number of swimmers in consolation finals at the conference championships. Get a few guys into championship finals.<\/p>\n

Given the hand he was dealt, Bowman had no other option. In 2008, before alumni stepped forward to save it, the ASU program was earmarked for extinction. And once it was rescued, convincing quality athletes to represent the school was a difficult chore. After all, what top-tier swimmer would want to compete for a school that had not demonstrated support?<\/p>\n

\u201cBoy, has it been a challenge,\u201d Bowman said in a recent interview. \u201cIt\u2019s been a process, taking a step-by-step approach. There have been mistakes along the way, but we\u2019ve learned from them, and things have come together. It\u2019s been a result of the athletes, coaches, alumni and parents.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"grant-house-\"

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick<\/p><\/div>\n

Under Bowman\u2019s watch, growth at ASU was incremental at first. But a turning point came in 2017 when Grant House<\/strong> was lured to become a Sun Devil. As a standout in Ohio for St. Xavier, a tradition-rich swimming powerhouse, House brought legitimacy to the Arizona State program. He was an elite recruit who could have gone anywhere and made a mark. Instead, he chose Tempe and embraced the building process.<\/p>\n

Eventually, other top recruits followed, and the program rose up the ranks, making the jump from oblivion to NCAA factor. A sixth-place finish at the 2022 NCAA Men\u2019s Championships served as proof, and 2023 was cause for grand celebration, as the Sun Devils followed a Pac-12 Conference team title with a runner-up showing to Cal at the NCAA Championships.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s meant a lot to what we have achieved,\u201d Bowman said of House. \u201cHe was the first person to come here who was recruited by a Texas and other top schools. He got here and knew how to recruit others, push his teammates and showed how to act at practice. He\u2019s a building block of our culture. He had expectations and knew we could do something special.\u201d<\/p>\n

A FRENCH CONNECTION<\/strong><\/p>\n

While House was an initial spark to Arizona State\u2019s surge, Frenchman Leon Marchand<\/strong> has been a bonfire to the school\u2019s emergence as a national power. The son of Olympian parents, Marchand committed to the Sun Devils as a world champion at the junior level, a youngster with considerable upside. Under Bowman, who benefits from the support of assistant coaches Herbie Behm<\/strong> and Rachel Stratton-Mills<\/strong>, Marchand has bloomed into\u2014perhaps\u2014the premier force in the sport.<\/p>\n

\"leon-marchand-\"

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick<\/p><\/div>\n

A five-time individual NCAA champion through two years with ASU<\/a>, Marchand spent his sophomore campaign shredding the collegiate record book. At the NCAA Championships, he claimed victories in the 200 individual medley, 400 individual medley and 200 breaststroke\u2014all three events captured in NCAA-record time. Meanwhile, he was a key cog on a quartet of relays, and could have factored in several other events, if not for limitations placed on the number of entries allowed per athlete.<\/p>\n

Beyond the NCAA scene, Marchand ranks alongside Romanian David Popovici<\/strong> and Hungarian Kristof Milak<\/strong><\/a> as the current faces of the sport on the global stage. As the reigning world champion in both individual medley events, Marchand will try to defend those titles this summer in Fukuoka, while also contesting the 200 butterfly, where he is the reigning silver medalist from the World Champs. And then there\u2019s next year, and the chance to compete at a home Olympics, with the Games slated for Paris.<\/p>\n

Obviously, Marchand\u2019s presence is attractive for potential recruits, and the 21-year-old has thoroughly enjoyed helping the ASU program develop into its current state.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think what\u2019s crazy about ASU is that we\u2019re building everything,\u201d Marchand said. \u201cThere was no tradition. There was no culture in the past. Guys came in and have been building it, and we continue to improve it every year. The team spirit is great now, and I think it\u2019s going to be better every year.\u201d<\/p>\n

THE PROFESSIONAL POOL<\/strong><\/p>\n

Because Bowman was hired by Arizona State a little more than a year out from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, several of his professional swimmers at the time followed him from NBAC. With Phelps and Allison Schmitt<\/strong> headlining the pro group, it clearly had swagger. Still, what he is working with today\u2014on an overall basis\u2014is far beyond.<\/p>\n

\"SwimmingThe lanes at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center during practice are stacked with talent, ranging from Olympic champions and medalists to titlists and podium finishers from the World Championships. There is a lot to balance, especially with a World Champs this summer and an Olympics on the horizon, but the environment makes for something unique.<\/p>\n

The setup Bowman oversees is not unfamiliar. When he was the head coach at Michigan, his Club Wolverine was loaded with some of the biggest names in the sport: Phelps, Schmitt, Peter Vanderkaay<\/strong> and Kaitlin Sandeno<\/strong>, among others. More, he operated at NBAC with the likes of France\u2019s Yannick Agnel<\/strong> and American Conor Dwyer<\/strong>. Surely, Bowman knows how to balance the varied needs of his athletes, both physically and mentally.<\/p>\n

In the current setup, Bowman has his college swimmers training alongside his professional crew. The approach allows these talented individuals to feed off each other, and allows Bowman the necessary time for himself…or to see his grandchildren.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt does remind me of Ann Arbor, where we had talented people who were world-class and were doing things that pushed the limits,\u201d Bowman said. \u201cWe\u2019re getting people to think bigger and buy into what we\u2019re doing. I\u2019m better at dealing with individual needs and doing things within a bigger group that work for the specific athlete.\u201d<\/p>\n

Between this summer and next, Bowman could place numerous athletes on various national teams, including Team USA. Consider the roster he is guiding:<\/p>\n