Dave Salo • Head Coach • Fourth Year
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Coaches Profiles dave salo • Head CoaCH • FourtH Year Dave Salo, one of the nation’s top club and national level swimming coaches for more than 15 years and a former Trojan assistant coach, is in his fourth year as head coach for USC’s men’s and women’s swimming teams. He replaced Mark Schubert, who assumed USA Swimming’s head coach position after guiding USC swimming for the previous 14 years. In 2009, for the second year in a row, Salo had USC swimmers performing at high levels collegiately, nationally and internationally. The USC women’s team’s ninth-place at the 2009 NCAA Championships was its best finish since 2004. The squad (6-1 overall, 5-1 in the Pac-10) was again led by Rebecca Soni, who won NCAA titles in the 100y and 200y breast events for the second consecutive year. Freshman Katinka Hosszu also had a huge NCAAs, reaching the finals of three events, including a second-place in the 400y IM and Hosszu were joined by Kristen Lahey and Rachel Hentzen earned her first career All-American a third in the 200y fly. Additionally, Soni and Waller, who all earned All-American honors after honor (in the 1650y free) while Emily Goetsch, taking third in the 400y medley relay. The youth- Kristen Lahey, Rachael Waller and Soni earned dominated men’s team (4-3, 2-3) went through additional All-American honors in the 400y a rebuilding season but showed a lot of promise medley relay. at the 2009 Pac-10s, led by James Martin and The men’s season was capped by Vanni Zoltan Povazsay and took a solid contingent to Mangoni’s Pac-10 title in the 400y IM and the NCAAs. Richard Gosper’s consolation All-American nod Also under Salo in 2009, Hosszu (400m in the 50y free at the NCAA Championships. IM) and Trojan graduates Soni (100m breast) In his first year with the Trojans in 2007, USC’s and Ous Mellouli (1500m free) all won 2009 men’s team finished 5-2 overall, 3-2 in the Pac- World Championship gold medals while transfer 10, taking seventh at the NCAA Championships, Lyndsay DePaul won a pair of silvers at the 2009 fourth at the Pac-10 Championships. The Women World University Games. Other current Trojans of Troy, which suffered the losses of three former who competed at the World Championships Olympians prior to the season’s end, were 5-4, included Dina Hegazy, Ania Kowalczyk, Haley 3-4, fifth at the Pac-10 Championships, 20th at Anderson and Zoltan Povazsay. the NCAA Championships. Salo’s 2008 was highlighted by the huge Six men’s swimmers earned All-American success of USC swimmers who – after training honors in 2007, including then-senior Larsen with Salo – went on to big success at the 2008 Jensen, who won NCAA titles in the 500y Olympics. Swimmers who worked out with Salo and 1650y freestyles. Jensen won those same and won 2008 Olympic medals included gold- events at the Pac-10 Championships. Mangoni medalists Soni, Mellouli and Klete Keller as well was also fourth in the 400y IM at the NCAA as bronze medalist Larsen Jensen. Salo served as Championships. Tunisia’s Olympic swim coach at the Olympics, Soni earned All-American honors on the enabling him to mentor the Tunisian-born women’s side, successfully defending her NCAA Mellouli in Beijing. title in the 200y breast and also reaching the Also in 2008, USC’s women’s squad finished final of the 100y breast. 5-5 in 2008 while the men were 2-5. Both Other noteworthy first-year accomplishments finished fifth at the Pac-10 Championships. under Salo included the breaking of USC’s The Women of Troy’s season was topped off by record in the 50y free. Joe Bottom had held the Soni’s pair of NCAA titles, including her third record since 1977, but under Salo, senior Sean consecutive NCAA crown in the 200y breast and Sussex erased the mark, going under Bottom’s her first in the 100y breast. In addition, Whitney old standard twice at the end of the 2007 34 2009-2010 USC Swimming and Diving Coaches Profiles season. (At the start of the 2007-2008 season, it was broken again, this time by Gosper). Salo also helped then-juniors Hentzen and Brittany Allen become NCAA Championships individual point scorers for the first time, the two distance freestylers each earning points for the Trojans in the 1650y free. Additionally, then- seniors Bryce Elser and Brandon Lovell both cracked USC’s all-time top 10 in the 100y fly in their first year under Salo. Salo, 50, who has coached Olympic medalists such as Soni, Mellouli, Jensen, former Trojans Lenny Krayzelburg and Gabe Woodward as well as Aaron Peirsol, Amanda Beard, Staciana Stitts, Colleen Lanne and Jason Lezak, came to USC after serving as head coach of the Irvine Novaquatics from 1990 to 2006. “Returning to USC, following in the footsteps of Hall of Fame coaches Peter Daland and Mark Schubert, is a coach’s dream,” said Salo. “The fact that it is my reality can’t be described adequately. “I have had a dream coaching career - coaching some of the best swimmers in the world with one of the best clubs in the country. The opportunity to come back to USC to coach one of the most storied programs in the history of collegiate swimming is tremendously exciting. I am looking forward to contributing to the culture of expected excellence at USC.” Salo guided the Novas to numerous Junior National and U.S. National team titles as well as several age group championships. He was tabbed 2002 U.S. Swimming Coach of the Year after leading the Novas to U.S. Spring and Summer national titles. In addition to his work with the Novas, he has served extensively at the national level, including head coaching assignments for the United States at the 2005 World Championships (men) and the 2001 Goodwill Games (men). His assistant coaching duties for the U.S. include the 2004 Olympics (men), 2003 World Championships (men and women), 2002 Pan Pacific Championships (men), 2000 Olympics (women) and the 1999 Pan American Games (women). Nova swimmers and alums who trained under Salo have consistently dotted the roster of U.S. national teams, often in starring roles. Peirsol, the world record holder in the 100 and 200 backstroke (lcm), is a two-time Olympian and won 2004 Olympic gold medals in the aforementioned events. Beard is a three-time Olympian with seven medals, one of many elite breaststrokers who have come under Salo’s tutelage. Lezak, a four-time Olympic medalist in two appearances, is among American’s greatest sprinters. Salo joined the Novas after five seasons Salo graduated from Long Beach State with Besides duties with the Novas and the U.S. (1985-90) working under legendary USC a B.A. and M.A. in exercise physiology and team, Salo served as co-head coach at Orange swimming coach Peter Daland. He helped guide also served as an assistant women’s swimming Coast College from 2000 to 2004. The Pirates Troy’s men’s team to five Top 5 NCAA finishes, coach there in 1981 and 1982. He earned his won the 2003 California state title and Salo was including second-place marks in 1987, 1988 doctorate in the same field from USC in 1991. honored as state Co-Coach of the Year. Also and 1990. Troy also had perfect dual-meet Salo swam for Santa Rosa Junior College in 2003, he became the Founding Director of records in 1988, 1990 and 1991. Among the from 1976 to 78 before transferring to Long Aquatics at Soka University in Alisa Viejo, Calif., USC swimmers he helped coach were NCAA Beach State. where he recently completed his second season champions and Olympians Dave Wharton and with the Lions. Dan Jorgensen. 2009-2010 USC Swimming and Diving 35 Coaches Profiles 2008 U.S. Olympic Men’s 2008 U.S. Olympic Women’s Head Coach Eddie Reese: Head Coach Jack Bauerle: “Dave did a great job getting “Dave can coach anybody his kids ready for this meet and in anything. He just prepares his that’s what the Olympics are all swimmers so well. Aaron was all about. This was the best job he’s set to go in Sydney at 17. Rebecca done yet and I expect to see even (Soni) had our best women’s swim more from him in the future.” here.” U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist Aaron Peirsol, who trained under Salo at Irvine’s Novaquatics: “Dave’s had an absolutely amazing (2008) Olympics.” 36 2009-2010 USC Swimming and Diving Coaches Profiles jeremy kipp assistant CoaCH • tHird Year Jeremy Kipp, with 11 years of collegiate swimming coach experience, is in his third season as an assistant swimming coach at USC. In 2009, Kipp played a big part in USC’s improving sprint free corp, which included helping two swimmers break into Troy’s all-time top 10 in the 50y free. He also helped guide a six-man squad at the NCAA Championships. On the women’s side, USC featured four All-American swimmers, including two-time NCAA title winner Rebecca Soni and four- time All-American Katinka Hosszu. Kipp also coached former Trojan great Ous Mellouli as part of the Tunisian National Team coaching staff at the 2009 Mediterranean Games and helped Mellouli prepare for the 2009 World Championships. Mellouli won five golds at the Mediterranean Games and one gold and two silvers at the World Championships.