Who is Bob Bowman?
- Coached Michael Phelps to 22 Olympic medals.
- Named ASCA National Coach of the Year five times and USA Swimming Coach of the Year six times.
- Served as the U.S. men’s head coach at the 2007, 2009 and 2013 FINA World Championships. He has also been an assistant coach for the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, and the 2001, 2003 and 2005 World Championships.
- Coached the North Baltimore Aquatic Club from 1996-2004 as the Senior coach and later the High Performance coach.
- Head Coach of University of Michigan men’s swimming and diving team from 2005-2008.
- Served as CEO and Head Coach of North Baltimore Aquatic Club from 2008-2015.
- In 2015, Bowman was hired as the Arizona State University head coach.
How did he influence the swimming community?
Bowman’s impact is immense because of the level of swimmers he has worked with and the caliber of the programs he has lead. He is the coach of the swimmer labeled as the “Greatest of All Time.” During his tenure as coach, NBAC has been a competitive force, annually attaining Gold Medal Swim Club status in USA Swimming’s Club Excellence Program. Bowman has worked with Phelps as he has navigated the professional swimming world and created his own brand. Bowman has led US delegations at international competitions. The successes of his swimmers has raised the standard of competition in the United States and around the world.
Words from the most swimfluential:
“The sport of swimming is first and foremost about people. It has been my privilege to work with so many talented, caring and forward thinking people in my career. The experiences we have shared have shaped the sport and inspired so many people to dream bigger and challenge the limits of what is possible.”
-Bob Bowman
*USA Swimming and Speedo invited the swimming community to help celebrate their 30 years of partnership by voting for the “30 Most Influential People in Swimming Over the Past 30 Years.” Votes were cast through social media with the hashtag #30MostSwimfluential and the final vote came from a panel of 10 judges selected by USA Swimming and Speedo. All 30 nominees have had a powerful impact on the swimming community. Many are recognizable names, but some have remained unsung heroes of the sport. Swimming World will profile each swimfluential person over the course of the week.