The Evolution of Excellence: Herbie Behm’s Journey from Swimmer to Head Coach of Arizona State
Interview conducted through Walter Cronkite Sports Network
Herbie Behm’s journey in swimming goes beyond the narrative of a typical athletic career, as his path is marked by passion, strong leadership skills and an immense dedication to the sport. Through his reflections, he traces his evolution from a young swimmer driven by the sport’s individual challenges to a visionary coach who strives to inspire and transform the entire swimming community. His story highlights how pivotal moments have shaped his coaching philosophy and leadership approach, emphasizing his belief that the true essence of swimming lies in personal growth and collective success.
Behm’s connection with swimming returns to his earliest memories of the sport. From a young age, Behm was drawn to the water by his sister, who also swam. Behm shared some personal reflections that shed light on his early years in the pool and the unique aspects of the sport that have captivated him throughout this time.
“I started swimming at the age of 5,” Behm said. “I can remember my sister, who was two years older than me. She started when she was five or six. I remember going to practice, and I can remember watching her swim and wanting to do it. Then I started swimming. So I’ve always enjoyed it. I played a lot of sports growing up, but I like the individual competition that comes with swimming, where you’re kind of beating, competing, against yourself and doing that, and it’s more of an internal journey. So I’ve always loved that aspect of it, and that’s what I still really love today.”
Years ago, when Behm was considering a change in his collegiate swimming career, he found an unexpected opportunity at Arizona State University that aligned perfectly with his personal and swimming goals. At a time when the university’s swim team was undergoing significant changes, including being reinstated after being cut, Behm saw a chance not only for the team’s fresh start but for his own as well. Drawn by his love for the campus and its supportive community, Behm felt that ASU was the right place to begin his new chapter.
“The team had just been cut, and it was like kind of a new, fresh start for this team,” Behm said. “I needed a fresh start as well. I have always been here and loved the campus and everything about it. It was one of those things that I think everything outside of swimming was also really good. So I thought it’d be a great fit for just where I was in life and everything like that, where it’s like, we still have swimming, kind of restarting a team with that, but in a place that’s beautiful and great to just be a part of.”
Over the years, Behm has evolved significantly in his approach to coaching. As his career progressed, he moved away from viewing competition as a negative aspect of swimming and embraced a more collaborative and growth-oriented perspective. This shift reflected a deeper understanding of the sport’s dynamics and the realization that mutual improvement makes swimming more enjoyable for everyone. In his coaching career, Behm has learned to appreciate the value of every team’s success, recognizing that a strong competitor develops when faced with a challenge.
“It’s easy to be hyper-competitive in a negative way and look at the people you’re trying to defeat as almost an enemy,” Behm said. “I think when you can kind of recognize it as we’re all in this journey of improvement, then I think that’s where I’ve grown the most as a coach. I definitely didn’t look at it that way, as an athlete, and really viewing it as it’s not really a zero-sum game but recognizing that the teams we’re competing against, the better they do, that kind of makes us better. I think appreciating that is good, and it just makes for a more enjoyable and better experience for every person involved. I guess that’s where I’ve grown the most, and still, I’m hoping to continue to grow and embody that understanding.”
Behm was always drawn to the idea of coaching, a passion that only grew as he kept swimming. Behm felt a unique calling to coaching even as a teenager, distinguishing him from his teammates who may not have shared his vision. His natural inclination toward leadership and mentoring became apparent during his collegiate years at Arizona State University, mainly when an unexpected challenge turned into an opportunity. With the departure of the team’s sprint coach, Behm took on a coaching role for his team, leading them to notable successes that hinted at his future.
“I remember when I was 13 or so, telling a kid on my team that I was like, ‘Yeah, I want to be a coach, don’t you?’ And he was like, ‘No,’ and I was like, ‘Maybe I’m the only one that wants to do that,'” Behm said. “So my last year swimming at ASU, going into January, our sprint coach left. The coaches at the time were like, ‘Hey, we’re not getting a new one. So you can coach yourselves or swim in the distance group’. We had a little group of four people that I coached then that broke a school record in a relay and actually did well. Then it was kind of a natural transition to moving out of the sport but staying in it with the coaching side of things.”
In his vision for the Arizona State swim program, Behm aims to go beyond traditional boundaries and inspire a broader sense of community involvement. His ambitions focused on helping his swimmers grow and the entire community surrounding collegiate swimming, from alumni and fans to fellow coaches. As he stepped into his role as head coach, Behm outlined his strategic goals for the program, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and excitement in the sport.
“I think it’s just kind of inspiring this community,” Behm said. “I think it’s something that it’s already a great community, but growing it more and making the experience more about everyone—not just the athletes on the team, but the alumni, fans, everything like that—making it something that is way bigger than one person or a bunch of people. I think we can be big in the coaching side. I’d like it to be almost an export of swimming information as well. I think educating other coaches, whether that’s local club coaches or things like that, grows the whole community while also making swimming exciting. I think that’s something that I feel like I’ve already contributed quite a bit.”
Behm’s coaching philosophy is based on the belief that lessons learned through swimming reflect broader life principles. For Behm, the connection between an athlete’s life inside and outside the pool is fundamental. He advocates for a philosophy where the commitment to excellence in swimming matches the commitment to personal growth and integrity in all aspects of life.
“I don’t think you can really separate the in and out of the pool because that’s just how life is,” Behm said. “I do truly think swimming and racing is kind of a display of the life you live outside and I think understanding that is a big first step for a lot of people. There is that stigma in a way where you can not study, not sleep, not care, and show up here and be super focused for two hours, and then not care again. People don’t do that. One thing we always say is how you do anything is how you do everything. It’s keeping that focus and importance on every single thing you do because that’s all we have control over. I think learning that is a really good thing and I think sport is a great way to do that in young people’s lives because it’s something they’ve built up and means a lot to them.”
As Behm begins his new role as the head swim coach at Arizona State, he is particularly excited about the potential to broaden his influence and create an environment where everyone contributes their best to collective success. His focus extends beyond the swimmers to include staff and all those involved with the program, emphasizing the importance of dynamic roles and continuous development.
“I guess just broadening the way, like kind of the impact I guess I can have on people and trying to give the best of myself to more people, and then it’s ultimately trying to construct an environment where we’re all giving the best of each other to each other,” Behm said. “So kind of orchestrating that is something exciting. It’s definitely a new challenge to learn and see what people’s skills are best suited for.”
Behm steps into his new role at a time of significant transition and change. He acknowledges the unexpected shifts, recognizing the challenge of getting everyone on the same page with a new vision. As he navigates these changes, Behm remains optimistic about the potential for improvement and is particularly excited about the prospects of both the men’s and women’s swim teams. With new talent on the horizon and the transition into the Big 12, Behm is gearing up for a transformative season.
“The biggest challenge is definitely the dramatic change of everything that was totally unexpected to everyone,” Behm said. “So we’re still kind of seeing the remnants of that. So that’s the biggest thing: moving forward with this change and getting everyone just on board with the new plan because it’s not what they specifically signed up for. I’m really excited about our women’s team because it’s been kind of crazy. Just in the last week, we’ve had four commits, who are some of the best commits we’ve ever had. On the men’s side, we have our best recruiting class coming in we’ve ever had. So, just getting those guys going will be really exciting. Moving into the Big 12 is very good timing for a lot of change to happen because there’s going to be a ton. I’m really excited about that.”
Behm envisions his leadership role as one that creates empowerment and unity within the swim program and its surrounding community. He aspires to be the catalyst for a broader movement that brings out the best in everyone associated with the team, from the athletes and recruits to the parents, fans, and alumni. Behm emphasizes the importance of recognizing and embracing individual strengths and discusses his hopes for how his influence will be felt and remembered at ASU.
“Honestly, I feel like the best leaders are able to do that without being seen,” Behm said. “So that’s kind of what I hope it can be like, a spark that ignites a whole community and gets everyone to recognize their impact because it’s from parents, fans, alumni, kids on the team, and recruits coming into the team. It’s everybody. So, I guess it’s just getting everybody to recognize their strength that they have within themselves. Again, I don’t think I necessarily need to be the one getting the credit for that, but that’s what I hope happens.”
Good to see/read this- as I believe he brings not only great coaching but helping bridge the gap for our young people into the business/professional world of personal empowerment & into sharing & making things better in our daily environment.
Welcome Hurbie! While the next year or so will be in part building years I hope we can also work on getting the ASU alumnae and parents more involved and active. I will do all I can to help.