Mike Bottom
Encyclopedia
Mike Bottom is the ninth head coach in the 87-year history of the University of Michigan
men’s swimming program
and one of the world's most recognized swimming coaches. A non-participating 1980 Olympian, due to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott, he is the younger brother of 1976 Olympic
Silver Medalist Joe Bottom
.
Previously, he was the assistant swimming coach at University of California, Berkeley
, where his teams finished eighth place or better at NCAA championships and second place at the Pac-10 Championships. Prior to his joining legendary coach Nort Thornton at Cal, Mike coached four years at USC with Olympic coach and now USA Swimming Team Head Coach & General Manager, Mark Schubert
. In Mike's final season at USC, with the help of a strong women's sprint core, USC won their only Women's NCAA Championship to date. Bottom also held a coaching stint at Auburn
from 1991-94. He created the ultra sprint program, taking two then unheard-of athletes, Bill Pilczuk
and Dean Hutchinson, to the NCAA finals. He assisted in the rise of the Auburn men's team that won the 1997 and 1999 NCAA titles.
For eleven summers Bottom has coached an international Sprint Team. In the past three Olympiads, one-half (nine) of the 18 medals awarded in the men's sprint freestyle events (50 m and 100 m) have been won by athletes that he has coached. This past summer Bottom took a group of 13 swimmers to Europe for a training camp and international competition circuit. After winning the European championships Cal's Bartosz Kizierowski
was number one in the world, Duje Draganja
was a silver and bronze medalist in the same competition. During the summer of 2004 he coached ten swimmers from eight different countries at the Olympic Games
in Athens
.
In the past two FINA World Championships (2005 Long Course and 2006 Short Course) all the medals won in the 50 freestyle swimmers had been coached by Bottom. Although he is known world wide for coaching sprinters, 12 of the 18 school records at Cal are held by athletes that Bottom personally coached. He has coached an NCAA champion in every stroke.
At the 2004 Olympics in Athens and 2008 Olympics in Beijing
, Bottom served as the Croatian Team Olympic Coach.
During the summer of 2002, Bottom traveled to Europe with 14 athletes to establish a training base in Split, Croatia.
Bottom was the assistant coach for the World Team that finished second at the 2001 Goodwill Games
in Brisbane, Australia.
At the 2000 NCAA Bottom coached Anthony Ervin
to wins in both the 50 and 100-meter freestyle. Then in 2001, Ervin repeated as the NCAA champion in the 100 free, tying the legendary Matt Biondi with a time of 41.80.
At the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney
, history was made in the premier sprint swimming event the 50 meter freestyle. Two US Athletes, Gary Hall, Jr.
and Anthony Ervin finished in a first ever tie for the Gold Medal. Gary and Anthony as well as the 5th place finisher Bart Kizierowski from Poland all swam for Bottom.
Prior to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Bottom left the University of California for the head coach position of the Race Club in the Florida Keys. The so called World Team included athletes such as Nathan Adrian
, Gary Hall Jr., Milorad Čavić
and George Bovell
. Bottom left the Race Club after the Olympics for the head coach of the University of Michigan.
Bottom graduated from USC with a bachelor's degree
in psychology
and received the Scholar-Athlete Award for the graduating athlete with the highest GPA. He received a master's degree
in counseling at Auburn. Bottom, a member of three NCAA Championship teams at USC, was an Olympic team member and was on a world record 4×100 m freestyle relay.
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
men’s swimming program
University of Michigan swimming
-History:The University of Michigan Men's Swimming program began in 1921 and has had nine coaches in its history. The current coach is Mike Bottom, who took over the helm from Bob Bowman in 2008...
and one of the world's most recognized swimming coaches. A non-participating 1980 Olympian, due to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott, he is the younger brother of 1976 Olympic
Swimming at the 1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics were held in Montréal, Canada, 26 events in swimming were contested. There was a total of 471 participants from 51 countries competing.-Medal table:-Men's events:-Women's events:-References:...
Silver Medalist Joe Bottom
Joe Bottom
Joseph Stuart Bottom is an American, Hall of Fame swimmer and one time world record holder in 50 meter freestyle, 100 meter butterfly and 4×100 meter freestyle relay....
.
Previously, he was the assistant swimming coach at University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, where his teams finished eighth place or better at NCAA championships and second place at the Pac-10 Championships. Prior to his joining legendary coach Nort Thornton at Cal, Mike coached four years at USC with Olympic coach and now USA Swimming Team Head Coach & General Manager, Mark Schubert
Mark Schubert
Mark Schubert has been USA Swimming's National Team Head Coach since June 2009). He took a paid leave of absence from his role with USA Swimming in September 2010....
. In Mike's final season at USC, with the help of a strong women's sprint core, USC won their only Women's NCAA Championship to date. Bottom also held a coaching stint at Auburn
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
from 1991-94. He created the ultra sprint program, taking two then unheard-of athletes, Bill Pilczuk
Bill Pilczuk
Bill Pilczuk is an American swimmer who specialized in the 50 meter freestyle.Pilczuk is a native of Cape May Point, New Jersey....
and Dean Hutchinson, to the NCAA finals. He assisted in the rise of the Auburn men's team that won the 1997 and 1999 NCAA titles.
For eleven summers Bottom has coached an international Sprint Team. In the past three Olympiads, one-half (nine) of the 18 medals awarded in the men's sprint freestyle events (50 m and 100 m) have been won by athletes that he has coached. This past summer Bottom took a group of 13 swimmers to Europe for a training camp and international competition circuit. After winning the European championships Cal's Bartosz Kizierowski
Bartosz Kizierowski
Bartłomiej Kizierowski is a freestyle swimmer from Poland, who competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1996....
was number one in the world, Duje Draganja
Duje Draganja
Duje Draganja |Split]]) is a swimmer from Croatia who won the silver medal in the men's 50 meter freestyle at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece....
was a silver and bronze medalist in the same competition. During the summer of 2004 he coached ten swimmers from eight different countries at the Olympic Games
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
.
In the past two FINA World Championships (2005 Long Course and 2006 Short Course) all the medals won in the 50 freestyle swimmers had been coached by Bottom. Although he is known world wide for coaching sprinters, 12 of the 18 school records at Cal are held by athletes that Bottom personally coached. He has coached an NCAA champion in every stroke.
At the 2004 Olympics in Athens and 2008 Olympics in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Bottom served as the Croatian Team Olympic Coach.
During the summer of 2002, Bottom traveled to Europe with 14 athletes to establish a training base in Split, Croatia.
Bottom was the assistant coach for the World Team that finished second at the 2001 Goodwill Games
Goodwill Games
The Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s...
in Brisbane, Australia.
At the 2000 NCAA Bottom coached Anthony Ervin
Anthony Ervin
Anthony Lee Ervin is a former American swimmer. He has won two Olympic medals and two World Championship golds....
to wins in both the 50 and 100-meter freestyle. Then in 2001, Ervin repeated as the NCAA champion in the 100 free, tying the legendary Matt Biondi with a time of 41.80.
At the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, history was made in the premier sprint swimming event the 50 meter freestyle. Two US Athletes, Gary Hall, Jr.
Gary Hall, Jr.
For his father, also an Olympian, see Gary Hall, Sr.Gary Wayne Hall, Jr. is an American swimmer who competed in the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympics and won ten Olympic medals ....
and Anthony Ervin finished in a first ever tie for the Gold Medal. Gary and Anthony as well as the 5th place finisher Bart Kizierowski from Poland all swam for Bottom.
Prior to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Bottom left the University of California for the head coach position of the Race Club in the Florida Keys. The so called World Team included athletes such as Nathan Adrian
Nathan Adrian
Nathan Adrian is an American swimmer and Olympic gold medalist who currently holds the American record in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle ....
, Gary Hall Jr., Milorad Čavić
Milorad Cavic
Milorad Čavić is an American-born Serbian swimmer.-Swimming career:...
and George Bovell
George Bovell
George Bovell III is a three-time Olympic swimmer from Trinidad and Tobago. He represented the country at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics. At the 2004 Olympics, he won a bronze medal in the men's 200 IM:the 9th medalist in the country's history and 12th medal overall...
. Bottom left the Race Club after the Olympics for the head coach of the University of Michigan.
Bottom graduated from USC with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and received the Scholar-Athlete Award for the graduating athlete with the highest GPA. He received a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in counseling at Auburn. Bottom, a member of three NCAA Championship teams at USC, was an Olympic team member and was on a world record 4×100 m freestyle relay.