Phelps Announces Son Boomer To Be A Future Wolverine

Twenty-Three-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps, now affectionately referred to as the “G.O.A.T.,” has told the Baltimore Sun that his sixteen-week-old son, Boomer Robert Phelps, will be a Michigan Wolverine. Phelps proclaimed, “Boomer’s going to Michigan. Go Blue.” Like father, like son. Phelps followed Coach Bob Bowman to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, after the 2004 Olympic Games. Bowman replaced Jon Urbanchek as Michigan’s head coach and served in the head coaching position from 2006 to 2008. Phelps, who had already turned professional, could not compete collegiately but did swim for Club Wolverine. Michigan also lists Phelps as a volunteer coach from 2005 to 2008. Phelps took classes at Michigan but did not pursue a degree. After the 2008 Olympic Games, Phelps followed Bowman back to Baltimore when Bowman re-took the helm of the North Baltimore Aquatic Club. Arizona State University has recently challenged Michigan’s sole claim to Phelps.

Notably, Nicole Johnson, Boomer’s mom and Phelps’ fiancée, who did not get to offer her two-cents, is a University of Southern California (“USC”) alumna. She also holds the Miss California 2010 title. Phelps, Johnson, and Boomer live closer to Johnson’s alma mater in Scottsdale, Arizona, so Phelps better hope Boomer doesn’t get too attached to the warmer weather. Phelps will be an assistant swim coach at Arizona State under Bowman.

Perhaps the more stimulating discussion is which university, Michigan or USC, has historically performed better at the NCAA Division I Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships? Below is a table that shows each respective university’s finish at the championships for the past five years. We’ll let the results speak for themselves:

We would be remiss not to mention that Michigan also won the national championship in 1937-1941, 1948, 1957-1959, 1961, and 1995 (12 total championships), and USC won the national championship in 1960, 1963-1966, and from 1974-1977 (9 total championships). Here is the complete list of men’s swimming national championship winners. Michigan is tied for the most men’s team titles with the University of Texas.

In addition to finding out where Boomer goes to college (and if he swims at all), we will also have to wait and see how fast the Arizona State University swim team climbs the rankings under the leadership of Bowman and Phelps.