2014 Swammy Awards: International-level Coach of the Year David Marsh

To see all of the 2014 Swammy Award winners, presented by TYR, click here.

2014 HONOREE: David Marsh

With a year that included putting 11 athletes on the U.S. National Team, 8 swimmers on Pan Pacs roster, and 7 swimmers on the 2015 U.S. Long Course World Championship team, David Marsh earns our 2014 Swammy for International-Level Coach of the Year.

Although SwimMAC Team Elite has rarely been considered a big mid-distance/IM training center, the continued success of dozens of elite swimmers under Marsh attracted two of the best mid-distance/IM swimmers in the world: Tyler Clary and Ryan Lochte.  Clary had a strong transition in his first summer with SwimMAC, topping a loaded field in the 200 back at Pan Pacs this summer and earning a silver in the 400 IM.  Arguably his most memorable swim, though was his impressive anchor leg on the men’s 4×200 freestyle relay in Doha at Short Course Worlds, where he passed the Russian and South African anchor legs (and held off Italian legend Filipo Magnini) over the final 50 for the win.  Lochte actually joined SwimMAC in late 2013, and after battling multiple injury setbacks (including a torn MCL in his knee), he rounded into form to win three medals at the 2014 Pan Pacs, and also earn individual invites in the 100 free, 200 free, and 200 IM for next summer’s World Championships.

On the women’s side, Marsh and his staff have helped Kathleen Baker into one of USA Swimming’s rising stars.  Baker, a future California Golden Bear, qualified for a pair of major international teams this summer following brilliant performances at Summer Nationals and Pan Pacs.  In her first post-collegiate season, Cammile Adams had immediate success under Marsh, as well, winning individual gold at Pan Pacs in the women’s 200 fly and finishing 6th at Short Course Worlds earlier this month.

Not to be lost in the shuffle, Tim Phillips (men’s 100 fly) and Micah Lawrence (women’s 50/100/200 breast) will also swim at Worlds next summer.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

In no particular order

• Shannon Rollason  – Although he announced this fall that he’ll be leaving his position Danish National Training Center Coach, Rollason made tremendous progress with the Danish program in his short year-and-a-half span at the helm. Rikke Moller Pedersen won the 100 and 200 breaststrokes at the European Championships this summer, Jeanette Ottesen took the 100 fly, and the Danish women grabbed gold in the medley relay at both Euros and Short Course Worlds.
• Shane Tusup – We’ve written a lot about Katinka Hosszu this year, but we also need to give credit to her coach (who is also her husband and agent). Hosszu has been great throughout her career, but her 2014 takes the cake. In a seemingly never-ending set of competitions, the Iron Lady has taken down records of all kinds and won countless World Cup and major international meet medals.
• Fred Vergnoux  – The coach behind the great Mireia Belmonte Garcia. Vergnoux and Belmonte Garcia teamed up for six European Championship medals (ranging from the 200 fly to the open water 5k), four Short Course World Championship medals (all gold), and multiple world records.