As if the allure of training in the same pool as Michael Phelps weren’t enough, the latest class of commits for the Arizona State Sun Devils will actually be coached by the greatest Olympian of all time, according to the his coach Bob Bowman.
In comments to the Arizona Republic, Bowman says that Phelps is committed to being an assistant coach for the Arizona State Sun Devils for at least the 2016-2017 NCAA season.
The article gives a deep look into Phelps’ new training and living environment in Tempe. Currently, trainer Keenan Robinson, who Phelps insisted be a part of the new staff in Arizona if he were going to move from Baltimore, and his wife Kalyn Keller live with Phelps and his fiancee Nicole Johnson.
Phelps also raves about the outdoor training environment in Tempe – which he says is a attitude-shifting outdoor pool, as compared to the indoor pool that NBAC used during the cold Maryland winters.
Allison Schmitt, a graduate of the University of Georgia and Phelps’ long-time training partner, is also planning to stay in Tempe after 2016 (though Bowman didn’t specify whether that will involve retirement or not). Schmitt will chase her master’s degree in psychology in hopes of helping others battling depression – she says that she has been battling since the 2012 Olympic Games.
Read more insights into the Tempe training group in the Arizona Republic here.
golf everyday
agreed…how many of the great coaches were GREAT swimmers? Not very many. Very few. i think his name will bring attention to the program but not sure his coaching will bring fast swimming. But that might all Bowman wants him for……
Sergio Lopez certainly comes to mind – maybe not in the same calibre as Biondi, Popov etc. but an olympic medallist.
I also think that Romain Barnier is consistently underrated. He sprinted for France at multiple international competitions but has since transitioned to running what is arguably the world’s best sprint programme in the world. I mean the 2014 Doha World SC 4x100fr was won with 4 guys from the same club… In Kazan 3 out of 4 were from Marseilles too…
Phelps brings attention and excitement, but is a completely unknown quantity as a coach.
If I was either AZ superstar Ryan Hoffer or Taylor Ruck’s parent, Bob Bowman is a genius and the one I’d want coaching my child.
Okay.. I’m predicting he coaches 2 years and then starts training again late 2018 for 2020.
i completely agree. Keeping his name associated with his fast swimming success is what makes him $$. He will still be young enough to do this both in 2020 and possibly 2024. 2024 is a stretch, however the publicity he gets each time with simply attempting a comeback is worth its weight in gold. And any type of medal in 6 Olympics and participation in 7 Olympics would be very hard to ever beat.
No way a 35 year old phelps even attempts to swim at any level other than masters
I think it would be better to be coach at The University of Phoenix . He wpuld not have to get up at 4 & could email the programs he did as an 8 year old . Make that as a 6 year old & his vast newly enrolled swim team would be happy .
Well, Maricopia County is the 4th largest county in the US but the rest of Arizona not much of a population. Tucson is about a million. The problem is AZ State has less of a reputation in College swimming than University of Arizona. Winters are good in Tempe, summer sucks. When Michael was younger he wanted to stayed in Baltimore for the rest of his life but seems to changed with age.
Hate to be a wet blanket, but not all great swimmers are great coaches. Seeing Phelps growl at fans at the Mesa Grand Prix does not make me optimistic for his coaching younger swimmers.
I agree that not all great swimmers are great coaches, but Phelps will be coaching college-age swimmers, not young children. Also, while it may have been rude, I don’t think it’s fair to judge Phelps off of interactions with fans at one meet. While we want our stars to be gracious towards fans all of the time, they are human and sometimes aren’t at their best. Phelps will be a volunteer assistant coach, so ASU isn’t spending big bucks on an untested coach. I think it will be a good opportunity for Phelps to explore coaching and see if it is the right fit for him.
College swimmers can be harder to coach than young kids. College kids are a different breed. You have everything from a kid that is just physically showing up to practice for almost no reason to a kid who actually wants to be great and everything in between. Also college men can be impossible to motivate in some cases if you do not know how to work with them properly. You cant be too giddy or they think you are weird and you cant be too strict or they dont care. College coahing is very very difficult especially on a mens team.
Believe it when you see it. Who knows what transpires in coming months. Why were swimmers all still NBAC in Dec at Nat’s and even the unattached like Nolan. Doesn’t the AD in Arizona wonder about no name recognition being given and paid employee having non collllege swimmers with no publicity for school. Just everyone relax with the time to come. Just another program.