The legendary swimming coach Bob Bowman could be looking at having another star under his wings soon. With iconic stars like Michael Phelps and Leon Marchand excelling in the sport under his guidance, the Longhorns HC now looks forward to another Olympian waiting to join his camp soon. The 2024 Olympic gold medalist Chris Guiliano has made a startling announcement, and Bowman could be feeling excited.
The 21-year-old swimming sensation from Pennsylvania was one of the biggest flexing points for the Notre Dame program. However, with the Fighting Irish going through a rough patch, it looks like Guiliano is looking elsewhere to progress his promising career. And who better to train under than the iconic coach who has brought the Baltimore Bullet his 28 Olympic medals?
An article by the Austin American-Statesman from November 6 reveals that the Notre Dame swimmer who was part of the Team USA squad that won the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay in Paris earlier this year has committed to Texas for the upcoming season. The announcement came in light of the Fighting Irish being suspended for one academic year after an independent law firm investigated the program’s swimmers over gambling allegations.
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The previous season saw the Notre Dame team performing impressively well, and Chris Guiliano was one of the driving forces behind its success. However, with the gambling and program culture violation allegations, Guiliano had to decide what to do to ensure his Olympic triumph wasn’t led astray. Now that he’s joined the Longhorns, Chris will be in good company.
Guiliano will be adding more depth to an already stellar roster of the Texas swimming program. In Austin, the young Turk will have Olympic medalists Carson Foster, Luke Hobson, and Hubert Kos as his teammates, all of whom have trained under the veteran swimming coach Eddie Reese. Moreover, the French sensation Marchand is also expected to hit the pool at the Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center this season.
Naturally, Guiliano is excited to see what the future holds for him. “This process has been extremely difficult, but I’m excited to begin a new chapter of my life. Thank you to Notre Dame for all of the memories and relationships that will last forever. I would not be where I am today without all of you,” he wrote on his social media update. With that, Bob Bowman’s project for the next six years at Texas could well turn into something that keeps the swimming connoisseurs hooked.
Texas Swimming looks to continue its stellar run with Bowman at the helm
The seasoned coach was named the new Director of Swimming and Diving for the Longhorns in April. However, with Bowman being a member of the Team USA staff for the 33rd Olympic Games, his employment had to be stalled. On the other hand, coming to Austin, the 59-year-old swimming Hall of Famer has to fill some big shoes.
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Eddie Reese is a legend himself who has won 46 straight conference titles along with 15 national championships. But Bowman is no stranger to the high standards of the sport. Having worked at Arizona State, Bob also revels in the glory of his star student Michael Phelps, whose accolades should be a testament to Bowman’s wisdom.
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Naturally, the folks over at Texas are excited to see what Bowman brings to the table. “When we went searching for the next head coach of our Swimming and Diving program, we knew it would be challenging and that we had to find the absolute best to continue our proud tradition as the nation’s premier program. We did just that with Bob Bowman,” said Athletics Director Chris Del Conte in the official statement. So what do you think the collaboration of Bob Bowman and Chris Guiliano would do for the Longhorns’ swimming program in the 2024/25 season? Share your predictions below!
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