Leon Marchand to Texas Swimming? Bob Bowman’s Exit Could Lead to Another Sun Devils Loss

The swimming community is in a state of shock, and for good reason. Only days after helping the Arizona Sun Devils bag their first NCAA Swimming Championships title, iconic coach Bob Bowman has announced he will be taking over the director’s role for Texas’ swimming squad. While the fans are still in a state of disbelief over the news, it looks like the deal is already made and Micahel Phelps’ former coach is ready for his new designation. With that, his other star student Leon Marchand‘s future with ASU is thrown under the bus as fans can’t fathom what Bowman’s move will entail.

The Frenchman has had an incredible NCAA tournament. Breaking records as he pleased, Marchand walked away from Indiana with a total of eight titles, while also setting several new US and NCAA records along the way. However, with the legendary coach now set to lend his expertise to the Sun Devils’ Pac-12 opponent, Marchands’ tenure is also on the line.

Leon Marchand has a lot to ponder over

In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter) by SwimSwam EIC Braden Keith, the possible impacts of Bob Bowman’s departure have been discussed. In his post, Keith talks about several aspects that can make Texas look like a viable option for the five-time NCAA gold medalist Marchand. Keith points out that Leon’s academic pursuits can also become a major factor that might prove to be a crucial factor in all of this and prompt him to follow his coach who has brought him uncharted spoils over their years together. “US News ranks Texas as the 8th best computer science program in the country. Leon Marchand is majoring in computer science“, mentioned the post.

Braden went on to claim that most ASU swimmers will undoubtedly opt to stay back and pursue their goals under the tutelage of Herbie Behm, who has been associated with the Sun Devils since 2018. However, he claims, Marchand might do well to follow suit to Bowman. And it won’t be surprising either considering how Bowman has helped Leon achieve national glory.

Bowman leaves with a bang

Thanks to his sensational performances on all three days of the tournament, the 21-year-old walked away from the NCAA Championships with the CSCAA Swimmer of the Year title. Scoring an incredible 60 individual points, Marchand led the ASU team to its first national title, and his teammates also executed their roles with equal gusto. Jack Dolan, Ilya Kharun, Jonny Kulow, and Zalan Sarkany: all made sure their combined effort brought ASU a grand total of 523.5 points at the tournament. Their team performance also got Bowman the Swim Coach of The Year.

While Texas finished the championship in seventh place, they didn’t leave without having something to show for either. Luke Hobson gave Marchand a run for his money in every event they met. Now, with the circumstances suddenly changed it waits to be seen if Marchand and Hobson join hands together next season, as ASU scurries to sort its camp.

Read more: Leon Marchand’s Eye-Popping Relay Start Left Behind by Texas’ Luke Hobson as American Snatches His NCAA Record Back