David Marsh (swimming coach)
David Marsh (born December 29, 1957) is the Head Coach of Team Elite Carolina in Charlotte, N.C. Prior to founding Team Elite he was the men's and women's swimming coach at Auburn University. He has been in this role since 2007. Prior to joining SwimMAC he was the men's and women's swimming coach at Auburn University. After becoming head coach in 1990, Marsh led the men's team to seven NCAA national championships (1997, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007) and the women's team to five national championships (2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007). He finished his coaching career at Auburn at the conclusion of the 2007 season, after which he became the Head Elite Coach and CEO of the United States Olympic Committee Center of Excellence with SwimMAC Carolina. To date Marsh has led SwimMAC to three consecutive USA club excellence championships, a first for any programs, out distancing the second-place finisher by 12,000 points (see www.usaswimming.org).
The internationally known coach has coached 49 Olympians from 19 different countries.
Marsh is originally from Miami, Florida and received his degree in Business Administration from Auburn in 1981. Marsh was a five-time All-American backstroker at Auburn.
Success at Auburn
David Marsh is the most successful Auburn coach regardless of sport and he is arguably the most successful in the state of Alabama and the SEC, perhaps even the world. Marsh's 12 NCAA titles surpass the six won by football coach Bear Bryant at Alabama. Even breaking down the Men's and Women's titles separately, Marsh's seven men's titles beat Bryant. Marsh has won 17 SEC titles (13 men and 4 women), by far the most of any Auburn coach or team.
In 2003 he led both the men's and women's teams to a sweep of the NCAA titles, a first in collegiate Swimming and Diving. Marsh and the Tigers went on to repeat this accomplishment three more times (2004, 2006, and 2007).
Marsh inherited a strong swimming program that was a fixture in the national swimming scene and regularly in the top 20 but was in a slump and turned it into a dynastic powerhouse. Since Marsh took over the Auburn swimming and diving program, Auburn's men have finished in the Top 10 every year but his first two years (1991 & 1992's Auburn teams finished 20th and 15th). In 1990, the year before Marsh came to Auburn, the team failed to qualify any swimmers for the NCAA Meet and Marsh made the jump to #20 in year one at a meet that usually sees around 60 teams represented. In 1993 the Tigers finished #6 in the NCAA's and have not fallen out of the top 10 since, with the lowest placing in that time being #7 in 2001. The women have been equally successful, jumping from #30 in Marsh's first year to #8 in his second of 92. The lowest finish for the Tiger women since 1992 was #13 in 1995.
SwimMAC Carolina (formerly known as Mecklenburg Aquatic Club )
David Marsh, Head Coach at Auburn University, became CEO & Director of Coaching for SwimMAC Carolina Mecklenburg Aquatic Club in the summer of 2007. Coach Marsh provided leadership and vision, directed toward continuing to develop the USA Swimming Club into the premier competitive swim teams in American's number one sport, swimming. Marsh also focused his attention on developing an Elite component of the program, for athletes who rise to a world class level from within the SwimMAC program, as well as those relocating to North Carolina, such as post-graduate and professional swimmers focusing on their Olympic Dreams. Coach Marsh states, “I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to move to Charlotte and join one of the country's premier programs. I have a long history with SwimMAC athletes and have found them to be remarkable individuals. SwimMAC athletes such as Aaron Ciarla, Daniel Slocki, and Catherine Caldwell have been a key part of the championship program we have built at Auburn. I look forward to joining the quality coaching staff at this club and working with the coaches, athletes, and parents to build a championship program in Charlotte”.
In 2016 David Marsh and Team Elite placed Anthony Ervin, Ryan Lochte, Cammille Adams, Kathleen Baker, Jimmy Feigen, and Katie Meili on the US Olympic Team.
In late 2016, the board decided to move forward without David Marsh as CEO and agreed to work to redefine his and team elites role at the club. In May 2017, SwimMac and David Marsh announced a mutual parting of ways.
Olympians
Marsh has coached 49 Olympians from 19 different countries.
Individual Champions
Marsh's swimmers have combined to win 89 individual NCAA titles and 277 individual SEC titles. Auburn swimmers have also brought home 90 medals from international competitions such as the World Championships, Goodwill Games, Pan-American Games, and the Olympics.
2016 Olympics
On September 9, 2015, USA Swimming announced publicly that Marsh would serve as the head coach of the women's team of the 2016 US Olympic Team.[1] Immediately following the announcement, Marsh stated: "I will do all I can to uphold the unmatched tradition of excellence that has been established by the swimmers and coaches from the previous Olympic Games."[2] A total of 8 medals were achieved by the Team Elite Athletes. 1Gold for Ryan Lochte(4x200 relay), 2 Gold for Anthony Ervin (100 free relay prelims &50 free); 2 for Katie Meili (Bronze 100 Br & Gold 4x100 Medley relay prelims); 1 Gold Jimmy Feigen (4.x100 free relay prelims); 2 Kathleen Baker (Silver 100 back; Gold 4x100 medley relay)
Coaching Honors
CSCAA Women's Coach of the Year: `01, `02, `03
CSCAA Men's Coach of the Year: `94, `97 `99, `03, `04
SEC Men's Coach of the Year: `92, `93, `97, `98, `99, `01, `03, `04, `05
SEC Women's Coach of the Year: `93, `02, `03
Knoxville News-Sentinel Men's Coach of the Year: `93, `95, `98, `99, `01, `03, `04
Knoxville News-Sentinel Women's Coach of the Year: `92, `93, `03
Inside the Auburn Tigers Coach of the Year: `93, `96, `97, `03, `04
2016 USA Women's Olympic Team Head Coach
2014 USA Women's Team Assistant Pan Pac Championships, Australia
2012 USA Men's Olympic Team Assistant
2010 USA Men's Duel in the Pool Head Coach
2005 USA World Championships Assistant Men's Assistant Coach
2003 USA World Championships Head Coach
2005, 2003 USA Men's Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool Head Coach
2003 & 2000 National Collegiate and Scholastic Swimming Trophy
2003 Board Member of the Greater Lee County Boys and Girls Club
2000 USA Men's Olympic Team Assistant Coach
1999 USA Men's Pan-Pacific Team Assistant Coach
1996 USA Men's Olympic Team Assistant Coach
1995 USA Men's Pan-Pacific Team Head Coach
1994 USA Women's Assistant Coach-World Championship Team
Honored on the "Tiger Trail" of Auburn which commemorates athletic achievements by coaches and athletes.
2016 Inducted into the North Carolina Swimming Hall of Fame
2015 Inducted into the Auburn Swimming Hall of Fame
Marsh also serves on the boards of the American Swimming Coaches Association as well as the Championship Performance Advisory Board.
References
- ↑ "David Marsh, Bob Bowman Named Head Coaches Of 2016 US Olympic Team". Retrieved 2015-09-09.
- ↑ "Bob Bowman, David Marsh Named 2016 U.S. Olympic Swimming Team Head Coaches". USA Swimming. Retrieved 2015-09-09.
