Q&A With Arizona State Coach Herbie Behm
By Michael J. Stott
A sprinter himself Herbie Behm mastered the art of sprint coaching at Utah and with Bob Bowman at Arizona State University. When Bowman left for Texas this spring, Behm was promoted to ASU head coach and now has the Sun Devils once again vying for a national title. This Q&A will be followed by a How They Train feature which includes the sets utilized by Behm during his work with sprint star Jonny Kulow.
Herbie Behm
Head Coach
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona
• Arizona State University, B.A. psychology, 2013
• Head coach, Arizona State University, 2024-present; associate head coach, 2018-2024
• Assistant sprint coach, University of Utah, 2016-2018
• Coach, Phoenix Swim Club, 2014-2016
• Assistant coach USA Swimming National Team (2015-16, 2020-24)
• Assistant coach Puerto Rico National Team (2015-16)
• At ASU helped coach seven athletes to two NCAA relay and 10 individual titles
• 3x scholar-athlete award winner at ASU
• 9x NISCA All-American
• 2x Arizona high school swimmer of the year
• Member of national 400 free relay team (Catalina Foothills High School)
• One time record holder of Arizona (19.84) and New Mexico (20.67) High School 50 yard freestyle
Swimming World: You started swimming at age five. Why?
Coach Herbie Behm: My older sister started swimming when she was six and I was dragged to the pool to watch. I remember sitting under the bleachers asking if I can swim too so I started shortly after.
SW: You were 9x NISCA A-A and two time Arizona High School swimmer of the year. Were you also a stud as a younger age grouper?
HB: I still hold the 8 & Under 25 freestyle state record in New Mexico. That record is 25 years old now so I’ve been a sprinter since Day One!
SW: Why Tennessee as a college choice?
HB: They recruited me really hard and I enjoyed that. It seemed like a great option as a 17-year-old. LONG story but things were messy the year I was there which is why I cut my time short.
SW: Given that Matt Kredich and you are technically inclined and really understand the physics and physiology of the sport, how did you happen to leave Knoxville after one year?
HB: Matt Kredich only coached the Women when I was at Tennessee. He is a brilliant coach and someone I wish for whom I could have swum. I’m sure I would have spent more time at Tennessee if he were my coach!
SW: ASU had cut swimming at one point and was a lower tier D-I team when Bob Bowman began the resuscitation in 2015. What was your motivation to go to Tempe in 2018?
HB: I went to ASU and knew the potential of the swim team. Being on the team and knowing what it’s like to be a student-athlete at ASU is the best advantage I have now on the coaching staff.
SW: ASU had cut swimming at one point and was a lower tier D-I team when Bob Bowman began the resuscitation in 2015. What was your motivation to go to Tempe in 2018?
HB: I went to ASU and knew the potential of the swim team. Being on the team and knowing what it’s like to be a student-athlete at ASU is the best advantage I have now on the coaching staff.
SW: Once there you were integral in the signing and development of some of the world’s elite swimmers. What were challenges in doing that?
HB: Each athlete brings their own unique challenges. At the end of the day, we’re trying to make people faster. Elite swimmers can be easier in the sense that they are highly motivated but the key is getting to know the individual and trying to optimize their lifestyle for success.
SW: You were a sprinter and are known as a sprint coach. How do you share your data-based, technical analyses of stroke mechanics and races with your swimmers?
HB: This is a constant conversation between athlete and coach that I believe must happen daily. At meets we discuss the data points done in practice and at practice we discuss what we learned at the meet. It’s more of a feedback loop rather than a one-sided discussion.
SW: In your discussion with your swimmers how do you focus on each swimmer’s strengths and weaknesses?
HB: We are constantly trying new things in practice. When we find something that someone struggles with, that’s a great signal and becomes a focus. Improving one’s weaknesses is the key to growth. Also, once we get really good at something, that’s when it’s time to change it. Obviously, this is a balance because if people are constantly failing at practice they will become discouraged.
SW: What were the team dynamics like on deck and in the locker room as ASU men began to challenge Cal and Texas for NCAA supremacy?
HB: The goal is the be the best swimmers that we can be. This is about us. We want to see where the potential lies in human performance. Other teams are just a distraction.
SW: In April you were appointed ASU head coach, Bowman left as did a number of strong swimmers. How did you deal with the departures personally and as a team leader?
HB: I believe this was the single best thing to happen to our team’s culture. Not that Bob or those swimmers were a negative to it, but the success of ASU swimming is 100 percent due to the team’s culture and the way the team supports one another. Bob’s departure was painful. But the team is so much more than one person. His departure made us double down on ourselves and in our ability to problem-solve. Together. I can say with 100 percent certainty that this team right now has the best team culture I have ever been a part of.
SW: Even with the decamping, the Sun Devil cupboard is not exactly bare. What’s the current team mood and prospects for March?
HB: March will take care of itself. Our sole focus is to take a step forward every single day.
SW: The men’s team gets most of the press, what are you doing to elevate the women’s program?
HB: Breaking records. So far, our women have broken six team records and made an NCAA A cut in the 200 medley relay. That was our first A cut in that event in over 10 years.
SW: How will the House case settlement affect how ASU swimming does business?
HB: ASU is fortunate to have a president, Michael Crow, who not only realizes but respects the value of Olympic sports in education. Rather than viewing sports as revenue or non-revenue, he recognizes that our team is made of ASU students who deserve to be funded as such. The university does not require schools to create funding on top of the tuition students pay, so neither should sports. I believe this makes ASU truly sustainable in the new collegiate landscape.
SW: What are you telling potential recruits?
HB: There is a lot of uncertainty in the world today. Any coach who doesn’t say that is lying. However, I am incredibly confident in the future of ASU athletics and believe Michael Crow’s vision is the model to follow for all universities.
SW: It’s early yet, but what do you think college swimming will look like in five years?
HB: I think we’ll be alright. The reality is sport is always changing and always evolving. Things look entirely different than when I finished competing about 10 years ago. I’m sure things will continue to change but trusting our own ability to adapt is the key right now.
SW: Rumor has it you can cut a rug. Are you a Dancing with the Stars candidate?
HB: Only star I’m dancing with is RayGun. If she wants to dance battle, just name the time/place and I’m there.
SW: You also boast you can eat 50 eggs. Have you ever done so at one sitting?
HB: Not since college.
SW: Getting technical again. How do you balance the needs of aerobic capacity and speed/pace work?
HB: Everyone has different capacities. The point is to improve those capacities constantly throughout a season/career. Once you find that capacity, training must constantly stimulate the athlete in a way to stimulate constant adaptation.
**The problem most coaches make with aerobic capacity is they make the work too hard. They do it in a way that drains the anaerobic engine. Aerobic should be somewhat easy. Giving athletes a high volume of easy work every week will allow constant aerobic adaptation. Doing 10 x 100s hard will gas them. Most of my 41 second 100 freestylers do two sessions a week near 6000 meters. The catch is they think that’s easy because we’ve built their capacity that way. My best advice for coaches working with sprinters is avoid medium. Send the body the clearest message of what adaptation you desire. On the fast days, go insanely fast. On the long days, just keep it moving.
SW: If pool swimming is speed-limited (in most cases) and there is still a need to sustain and carry it over to long course and multiple day meets/events, how does a coach balance the needs of aerobic capacity and speed/pace work?
HB: Don’t think you need to fit everything into a single practice. Try and fit all the needs of the athlete into a week and build from there. Capacity work and speed work can fit together if you let it.
For example, we typically do our 100 pace development work on Wednesday afternoons. Thursday is our longest session of the week but it’s very easy. Friday is a double max speed day with resistance in the morning and no resistance at night. Each session is dramatically different and the volume ranges from 2000 yards to 7000 meters.
Most of the problems occur when coaches try and fit too many things into a single session. It’s like trying to hold three conversations at the same time. It’s confusing. Make a point, then make the next point, then make the next point. Don’t try and do it all at once. The same is true with training.
SW: How would you approach 13-17+ year olds (early teens/HS versus training later teens/more mature college level) athletes?
HB: It goes back to individual capacities. The goal is to stimulate and improve the capacity of each individual. There is an absolute capacity that can be quantified (volume/pace/etc.) but what’s more important is the relative capacity (i.e. how that affects the athlete). The goal is to raise absolute capacity while keeping relative capacity somewhat constant. Overdoing things too early will slow adaptation. The goal is to keep young athletes consistent while leaving space in their training week for growth.
SW: How can coaches positively affect VO2 max as teenage girls mature and reach college and closer to peak level performances?
HB: VO2 Max is directly related to the structural limitations of the body. Stimulating the lungs/heart/etc. with a high volume of low/moderate intensity will increase stroke volume. High intensity will increase output. Rather than doing long, hard sets young athletes should focus on gaining the ability to train every day and then start stacking volume/intensity on top of that.
SW: How can coaches improve our U.S. men’s 400 free and the depth of 800 & up events?
HB: Focus on it. Most college teams do most of their threshold work SCY. This is partly because it’s more fun and partly because we can fit a lot more athletes into SCY lanes than LCM lanes. I think we need to start doing that stuff long course if we really want to develop.
As more 50m pools are built, I wonder if we will ever see the NCAA move completely to LC swimming? Then, what will that do to improve our ability to compete internationally?
Coach Herbie is doing great things at ASU.