The Man Behind the Curtain : Speakers & Interviews

To the Bob Bowman haters-

Club Wolverine got it done this summer. Look at the TEN non-Phelps CW athletes that made the 2008-2009 National Team:
Peter Vanderkaay
Erik Vendt
Tyler Clary
Chris DeJong
Davis Tarwater
Chris Brady
Matt Patton
Alex Vanderkaay
Allison Schmitt
Katie Carroll

if you look in the background there is a lady in a bikini and the camera keeps fallowing her. It is funny

If you notice he kept turnning to look at the lady in the bikini
My coach told me that

You mean come to train with Phelps...

While its true that a swimmer like Michael can make a coach look better, it also says something about a coach when high level competitors flock to train with him.

"not so anonymous coward", you must've done your homework

Bob & Michael - Great job, job well done, both VERY fortunate to have each other, amazing, remarkable, never duplicated, etc

...but don't kid yourself ...PVK, Vendt, Tarwater, Big Ten titles, etc, that's more Jon than it is Bob - Just ask them ( I have)

Also point out that he brought Michigan a Big Ten title and Top 5 finish at NCAAs.

never has the anonymous coward tag been more appropriate. name a coach that has experienced success in our sport, and somewhere you will find a message board thread tearing them to shreds. Was Bowman lucky that Phelps walked onto his pool deck? Absolutely. At the same time Phelps was lucky to have a confident coach that saw his potential early on and helped prepare a long term plan for this incredible success.

At certain points in ANY coaching career you need a little luck to find yourself in the right place and right time to work with very talented athletes. It's what you do from there that counts. If all Bowman ever did was develop Phelps then we would still be lucky to have him be involved with our sport, but I think he has and will do a lot more than that

I've listened to Bob Bowman speak to swim coaches now several times and the man knows his stuff. He keeps it simple in his comunication to coaches and media. And Michael Phelps respects him.

Somehow I felt a real jolt of insult when I read the post below.
If anything, I feel we have not even touched on appreciating the acomplishments of the Bowman-Phelps team.
When a coach and swimmer can work together over so many years and have continual success and mutual respect, this is sportsmanship and a true reaching of the goal.
Congratulations Team.

So hold on he did nothing with PVK, Tarwater, Vendt, and many others while he was in Arbor? Come on this guy can flat out get it done.

I personally think that the "other stuff" that Bob does, besides "coaching" him on technique is what is so hard. Can you imagine how you can keep guiding a swimmer and help him keep his head on straight with so much pressure and when he's the BEST IN HISTORY? And to deal with all of the media requests and the travel, and the broken wrist and yet still get the training in that's what I would consider a great coaching job. It's especially the case because this was NOT phelp's best training year by far. To handle the pressure is amazing.

Love the pan over to the bikini girl. Otherwise, I just love listening to these guys. Anyone that can open my eyes a little more.

Bob Bowman is the most overated coach in the wrold. Let's look at his career:

Swam for the FSU Seminoles from 1983-85, serving as a team captain in his final year
1986-87 head age group coach at the Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club and assistant coach at his alma mater FSU. 1 year
1988-90 assistant coach with Las Vegas Gold swim team. 2 years
1990-91 assistant coach with Cincinnati Pepsi Marlins. 1 year
1991-92 assistant coach with the Napa Valley swim team. 1 year
1992-94 head coach and program director for the Birmingham Swim League. 2 years
1994-96 head coach for the Napa Valley swim team. 2 years
No more than 2 years at any swim club? 9 years of coaching with no commendable accomplishments. Interesting
1996-99 senior coach at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club
- While at NBAC, Bowman was honored with the USA Swimming and the American Swimming Coaches Association Coach of the Year Awards in 2001 and 2003. He was also named the USA Swimming Developmental Coach of the Year in 2002.
Interestingly enough, Michael Phelps starting swimming in 1996 for NBAC at the age of about 11. Bowman now magically wins Coach of the Year? Coincidence? Probably not.
1999-2004 high performance coach with NBAC
8 years at NBAC is a pretty good amount of time. Why would Bowman want to leave after all the success he has had there? Wait, that would make Phelps' 19, and its time for him to start college.
2004 US Olympic Team Assistant Coach
2004-08 University of Michigan Head Coach
Phelps' Goes to Michigan big surprise.
2008- present back NBAC
The only thing I'm not sure of is, what about all those other hard working swimmers that Bowman ignored while Phelps was in the water. How come he doesn't have a handfull of top level athletes like Phelps? I mean anyone can coach Phelps, he just looks at the pool and swims faster. Is Bowman's success with Phelps Repeatable? That's the only way he can prove his program is a successful one.

Great interview G

I like the bikini in the background, looks like garrett panned over a little to get a look.

great interview! It's always great to hear what one of the best coaches in the country has to say.

Always enligtening,
Great interview. Bob Bowman shows such a confident and positive attitude, it's not surprising that his athletes look to him as a source of stability in there lives.