Bowman leaving Michigan!

I could see Erik Vendt and Peter Vanderkaay going to NBAC. Phelps is likely to go wherever Bowman goes. They have been working together for too long, and have too intense a relationship, to sever ties before Phelps' career is complete.

Maybe he wants to be closer to "Ace of Cakes".

I wonder if those guys ever train outdoors? I highly doubt it. Northwestern's men's and women's teams go someplace warm for a couple weeks during the Christmas holiday break. They never swim outdoors at home as far as I know. NU doesn't have an outdoor pool. They'd only be swimming long course (I've never heard of them swimming in Lake Michigan!) when it was warm enough to be outside. The only nearby 50m pool is at Wilmette's Centennial Park. They certainly don't swim there during early morning hours. Evanston Masters swims then. Given that their climates are similar, I seriously doubt Michigan's team has much opportunity to swim outside either. Skip

Bowman identified Phelps as a major talent very young. Perhaps he would prefer the ability to identify and build talents starting younger... something that WOULD be allowed at a USS program like NBAC. While swimmers often stick around after graduating and continue to train with their college team, it is rare that the college coach would work with them before college years (actually aren't there rules against this?) As for Phelps and SCM records, I don't know how fast he would be in SCM. He has admitted many times that his turns suck (suck being a totally relative term... I would be content to have turns like his) and when he does swim an scy race, he is not as fast as his converted LCM times. I would be shocked if Phelps does not return to Baltimore. That's his hometown and any interview I've ever heard him give refers to him and Bowman being a team. It will be interesting to see who else follows Bowman to Baltimore.

Based on the interview, my summary is that Bowman has transcended the limits of NCAA swimming (i.e. 4-year SCY careers while attending an NCAA member school). While money is involved, I don't see that as much of an issue. NBAC allows him and his swimmers to achieve success on the international stage without these limits. He is thinking outside the box the rest of the USA is stuck in. On a semi-related note, I notice that Phelps has ZERO SCM world records. He surely is capable of breaking a number of them. I'd like to see him compete at SCM worlds, rested.

$80k? They were paying former UMD coach Jim Wenhold that 5 years ago before he won ACCs and "retired." I'm sure Bowman's UM $80k went a bit further there than it does around here, but that sure seems low. As for folks following him, I wouldn't be surprised if Phelps did. Without each other, neither is a household name in swimming. I think it would be shocking to find many others following. Murray Stevens built Meadowbrook with his bare hands, and while it has churned out (and is in the process of manufacturing more) elite talent in the last 10 years, the place could use a makeover. Baltimore doesn't really have all that much else to offer, either. Those UM kids have been slaving away indoors 9 months of the year, battling the hockey players for H20 sport supremacy. I don't see them coming here when they can go outdoors to Florida, Texas, Arizona or California... AND not always be #2 and swim in the shadow of the world's #1 swimmer.

Those UM kids have been slaving away indoors 9 months of the year, battling the hockey players for H20 sport supremacy. The swim team isn't going to win that battle! Hockey is a major college sport in Michigan. I wonder if those guys ever train outdoors? There is an outdoor 50 meter pool in Ann Arbor (Fuller Pool), but I'd be surprised if these guys swim there. Maybe Skip Thompson would know. I'd go nuts never getting to swim outside during the summer.

We have an interview with Bob Bowman on today's "Morning Swim Show." Watch it here.

I thought that it was interesting that the first thing he mentioned in the Swimming World interview when asked about the right environment for international caliber swimmers like Phelps was the opportunity to pursue Long Course Meters swimming.

guys this was for the money. And I totally do not begrudge him for this. He is going to make a lot of money doing this. I think that he and Phelps actually bought the team as part of this deal. I have run through this before, but with 1,000 swimmers paying $100 per month you have $100,000 of revnue per month. Alot of cheese to go around.