Bowman leaving Michigan!

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 haven't paid attention to his SCY races, but I've paid close attention to his turns in long course. They're leagues ahead of anybody on the planet.

I can't recall anything specific about his turns, per se. But I do know that at every turn is an opportunity for him to use his not so secret, but still immensely effective weapon, the SDK.

I'll admit I don't know the "pool" or the "club" business, but from the looks of these numbers, Bowman won’t out-earn the traders at Bear Stearns. with 1,000 swimmers paying $100 per month you have $100,000 of revnue per month. With 1,000 swimmers, he’ll need an assistant or two on the payroll. He'll need some administrative help (it’ll take at least two to tangle with 12,000 invoices a year). Won't he have to divert some cash flows into the pool for rent, and into the benefits and retirement pools too? This may beat government work in Ann Arbor, but not by much according to the back of this envelop ... I’ll bet most coaches coach because they can.

guys this was for the money. I disagree. Lefty, you seem to be imputing your personal reasoning/motivation onto someone else. I don't claim money is not *an issue*, but it just does not appear to be a significant one compared to the others he mentioned in his interview. But I tend to take what people say at face value when it makes a lot of sense.

With 1,000 swimmers, he’ll need an assistant or two on the payroll. He'll need some administrative help (it’ll take at least two to tangle with 12,000 invoices a year). Won't he have to divert some cash flows into the pool for rent, and into the benefits and retirement pools too? I think they own the land already. You forget concessions at the pool. You have also neglected to figure in that each swimmer buys (at the very least ) $150 worth of gear a year at the pool's swim shop, if they have one. They do - it is the size of my cubicle. But fully stocked.

You forget concessions at the pool. You have also neglected to figure in that each swimmer buys (at the very least ) $150 worth of gear a year at the pool's swim shop, if they have one. If they have meets, there is the $10 per heat sheet they charge

For what its worth (2nd hand info)...was at a Northwestern meet, and a Michigan grad of 10 yes or so (who seems to bleed blue)...relayed this deep dissension within the ranks of that team...bad good with Bowman and key squad folk)...again, 2nd hand and thus probably not worth mentioning but this thread reminded me of it.

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?) I was just thinking of this in she shower... I'd hedge my bets that most college coaches aren't really coaching kids all that much these days. At this level, I'd bet most of a swimmer's coaching has been done over the previous 10+ years, and that NCAA is more like mentoring and guiding at this point in a swimmer's career. Perhaps someone who swam in college could verify my assumption - at least in their case. But when you recruit someone faster than any of your current swimmers and all you have to do at meets is tell them "swim fast and beat the guy next to you," other than winning, there can't be much professional satisfaction in that.

I can't agree with that assertion, Mup. College coaches are critical. They get these kids as they are entering the peak of their swimming career. Coaching plays a huge part, especially keeping them improving for four years. I've heard many kids home from college speak to the benefit of a great college coach and how much they've improved.

If anything has changed it's the number of athletes that stay in the sport after college. That may be a draw for some coaches--coaching young adult "professionals" and being able to focus on the international (long course) scene and not just short course yard dual meets and NCAA Championships. Bowman said most of this in the interview, I believe.