How did Michael Phelps' ex-coach Bob Bowman change the trajectory of the Arizona State Swimming team? A look into the team's journey to NCAA glory

Bob Bowman has just made history again, this time by leading the Arizona State University to their first-ever NCAA men's swimming and diving championships. The legendary American coach is widely known for guiding Michael Phelps to his 28 Olympic medals, and he's now working his magic with the Sun Devils.

Bowman first came on board with ASU in 2015, when the team wasn't considered a threat even on the conference level. Since then, the 58-year-old has slowly changed the trajectory of the Sun Devils, guiding them to bigger and better things every season.

The first sign of Arizona State University’s changing luck came in 2021, when the team scored 106 points, tying with Michigan for the twelfth spot in the NCAA Championships.

A year later, with the arrival of French star Leon Marchand, the Sun Devils placed sixth in the national championships, marking a program high.

2023 saw Bob Bowman lead ASU to their first-ever PAC-12 conference championship title before the team went on to place second in the National Championships. Now, Arizona State University has finally clinched the revered NCAA swimming championships, and they've done it dominantly.

Competing in Indianapolis, the Sun Devils beat defending champions California by a whopping 79 points. The team's swimmers claimed seven individual titles, as well as six silvers and three bronze medals.

Bob Bowman on how Leon Marchand’s arrival revolutionized ASU

While Bob Bowman has helped the ASU team make major strides in their swimming program, the coach credits the arrival of Leon Marchand to the team as the tipping point that made the championship win possible.

In 2022, Olympian and French 400m IM record holder Marchand signed with the Sun Devils, giving the team a much-needed boost. In his freshman season itself, the youngster clinched two individual titles and two silver medals. Later he even went on to claim top of the podium finishes at the World Aquatics Championships.

Speaking on Marchand's effect on the team, Bowman told Swimming World Magazine,

“He’s the guy that made it happen. It gave everybody the example of what real excellence is at the top level, raised the level of everything everybody was doing and then attracted everything that could help us win this championship.”

Under Bowman’s guidance and with Marchand's immeasurable talent, fans will be excited to see how many more championships the Sun Devils can accrue.