New Arizona State head coach Herbie Behm is being paid significantly more than his former boss Bob Bowman to take over the swimming & diving programs at Arizona State University.
Behm’s base salary in year 1 of the contract is $274,000, which will increase by $10,000 in each subsequent year of the contract for its life until June 30, 2029.
While Bowman received a gigantic raise to go to the University of Texas, the promotion of his former top assistant Behm to head coach won’t be a discount for Arizona State. While Bowman’s base salary at Arizona State was $219,000, Behm’s will be $274,000, about a 25% increase over his former boss.
Behm entered the offseason as one of the top head coaching candidates in the country after the men’s program won its first NCAA title. With a number of high-profile jobs available around the country, Behm likely would have had options if he had hit the open market. Arizona State locked him in before that happened, though, announcing the coaching swap just days after the teams’ titles and before most of those other jobs opened up.
Behm’s bonus structure will be similar to Bowman’s, including the $50,000 reward for an NCAA team title.
Behm’s contract in his first year as a head coach makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in the country and possibly make this the richest contract for a first year head coach in collegiate swimming history.
Academic Bonuses
Behm will receive a bonus for the highest achievement in each category, meaning he could receive up to $20,000 in bonuses in this category.
| Achievement | Bonus Amount |
| Men’s Team GPA Greater than 3.0 | $2,500 |
| Men’s Team GPA Greater than 3.15 | $3,750 |
| Men’s Team GPA Greater than 3.30 | $5,000 |
| Men’t GSR >90% | $2,500 |
| Men’s GSR >95% | $3,750 |
| Men’s GSR 100% | $5,000 |
| Women’s Team GPA Greater than 3.0 | $2,500 |
| Women’s Team GPA Greater than 3.15 | $3,750 |
| Women’s Team GPA Greater than 3.30 | $5,000 |
| Women’t GSR >90% | $2,500 |
| Women’s GSR >95% | $3,750 |
| Women’s GSR 100% | $5,000 |
Athletic Bonuses
Behm can receive the maximum bonus in each cateogry for each men’s and women’s team, meaning that he would max out at $160,000 in bonuses for athletic performances.
| Achievement | Bonus Amount |
| Conference Team Champion | $10,000 |
| Conference Team 2nd Place | $5,000 |
| NCAA Champion | $50,000 |
| NCAA Top 5 | $25,000 |
| NCAA Top 10 | $15,000 |
| Men’s or Women’s Conference Coach of the Year | $10,000 |
| Men’s or Women’s National Coach of the Year | $10,000 |
Herbie deserves even more than this contract. A $500k base with the existing b onus structure would be fair. Swimming coaches are severely underpaid! Durden is worth $1million, Nesty is worth $1.5 million
It’s because he’s been running the program all along.
One of the problems of college swimming is these comments, nobody really knows who really coaches who but all can take the fame….
Party at Herbie’s! Let’s goooooo!
Happy for anyone who makes what they are worth but the discrepancy between head coach and assistant coaches is disgusting. Herbie can make what 3 of his coaches combined make just in bonuses. They work horrible hours, do recruiting and coaching and aren’t even bonus eligible. Would love to see their salaries posted
I don’t care, Coach logan, or even prefer, to see assistants salaries posted, but just just that you feel appropriately compensated, per results, and appreciated.
GOOD FOR HERBIE!!!!
ASU men should have free reign over the Big 12 right? Even the women were the top finishers at NCAAs this year
Might be first time HC, but a big factor in ASU’s team title. Bob didn’t do that alone. He’s well credentialed – just look at Kharun at the Olympics. Smart move.
ASU Donors would like to meet Bob in a dark alley. Or anywhere in Tempe for that matter. They are taking care of the loyalty to ASU that their new HC has shown them. Like Bob and Rocky who hired him; they used ASU to go elsewhere. Good riddance to both!! One broke the bank at USAT and fled to the USOC where he is doing the same there. Can’t blame Bob for going to Texas but he does tend to build and move on. How’s his French these days?
You must be super fun at parties
Sadly, I think loyalty is often a foolish path, if you’re looking for financial success anyway. You only have so many years/opportunities to cash in. This was a huge opportunity for Bowman, one he may never get again. I don’t blame him.
On the flip side, ASU is like a business, and businesses only stay loyal when everything is going well (i.e. company doing well, team doing well, relationships are unstrained, etc). At first sight of something going down hill, whatever good will you’ve built up over the years is used up quickly.
You might say “well what about loyalty to the swimmers he recruited?” I’m a little more sympathetic to that (as opposed to ASU), but it seems like… Read more »
You can’t forever be loyal to your recruits, though, as you always have new ones coming in. If you’re retiring, it’s different, because you could announce that years in advance.