Regan Smith is one of USA Swimming’s brightest stars. She has taken the swimming world by storm with her record-breaking performances and relentless drive. Behind her success is a remarkable coach. His guidance and expertise have been pivotal in her rise to the top of international swimming. “His vision and leadership skills for building a program are second-to-none, and his drive and determination to consistently succeed at the highest level jump off the page,” said University of Texas’ Richard Folger Athletics Director Chris Del Conte. He highlighted why Bob Bowman perfectly suited the role of swimming director.

Bowman’s excellence became more apparent when Olympian Regan Smith also moved from ASU to Texas to stick with her coach. Smith has often expressed how moving out of Stanford after just one semester and starting her training with Bowman has been one of the best decisions for her career. Clearly, Bob Bowman is able to create magic with his coaching, an experience reserved for fortunate trainees alone. Join us as we uncover the story of the man behind Regan Smith’s success.

Regan Smith praises Bob Bowman’s style of coaching

In an article on olympics.com, 3x Olympic medalist Regan Smith talked about her experience while coaching under Bob Bowman. “I think just day-to-day the things that I really love and respect about Bob is that like he doesn’t bull—- and cut corners, you know, he’s just very like, ‘Let’s get to work, let’s get our work done and let’s get out of here,’” Smith emphasized how Bowman is also very efficient and positive. This creates a great environment to learn. She praised Bowman’s ability to provide what each swimmer requires individually to get better. 

After just one collegiate season at Stanford, Smith relocated to Tempe, Arizona, to train under the renowned coach Bob Bowman. She remarked, “Bob is just great at giving us the work like it’s cut and dry. It’s plain and simple.” By following his methods, Smith began to see significant progress. She said, “I’m just seeing a lot of results so it’s just been a combination of all of those things that have just transformed me as a swimmer and a person.” This transformation has led to Regan excelling in the water recently, and she has openly acknowledged it. For Smith, words of encouragement were key, as she does not respond well to tough love.

The positive effects of the change from Stanford were also apparent in 2023 when she set three new personal bests and came close to beating record times in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke. Bowman, the longtime coach of Michael Phelps, has served as the head men’s coach for Team USA at the Rio Games, which was incidentally Phelps’ last Olympics. He also served as an assistant coach for three prior Olympics: Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, and London 2012. Bowman was Team USA’s head coach from 2004 to 2008, a period during which Phelps secured eight Olympic gold medals. With these accomplishments behind them, what does the future hold for Bob Bowman and Regan Smith?

What’s next for Bob Bowman and Regan Smith?

Bob Bowman is known for pushing his athletes with challenging training sets and maintaining high standards. However, his tough approach serves a purpose: it prepares athletes to consistently perform at their best, regardless of their competition level. In addition to his coaching role, Bowman also took on the responsibilities of Director of Swimming and Diving and Head Men’s Coach at The University of Texas. Bowman’s methods are ‘plain and simple’, and ‘cut and dry’. This helps athletes skip mental gymnastics and just focus on their goals. As Smith said, “I think we’ve clicked really well. I really didn’t know him at all before this year. So it’s been great, getting to know him and see how he ticks.”

Bowman also acknowledged how he is completely dedicated to his trainees and improving their craft, “My job is to create an atmosphere so that when an individual comes into our program and buys into the things that we ask that person to do, excellence is inevitable.” As Bowman has moved to the University of Texas, so has Regan Smith. The two are working in tandem to make Olympic gold happen for Smith. Additionally, they are training to beat the 200m backstroke and breaststroke events. Their goal is to achieve times under 2:05 and 2:03, respectively. This has been a long-time dream for Regan Smith.