In an announcement made by USA Swimming, Cal men’s swim and dive head coach Dave Durden has been selected to lead the American men through the 2020 Olympics. By the time he heads to Tokyo at age 44, Durden will be one of the youngest Team USA swim head coaches in more than two decades, as none have been below 50 years old since before 2000.
Durden, an assistant for the United States at the 2016 Olympics, helped lead a group that featured six Cal swimmers who combined for eight gold and 11 total medals in Rio de Janeiro. Among the group were Nathan Adrian and Ryan Murphy, two of Durden’s most successful swimmers both for Cal and for Team USA.
Durden, who has led the Golden Bears for 12 years, will be joined by Stanford’s Greg Meehan, who will coach Team USA’s women’s side. Both schools have traditionally been swimming powerhouses, and this year is no exception for the Bears. They are undefeated thus far and are coming off a major first-place designation at the Georgia Fall Invitational.
