On the world's stage: Sun Devil Swimming reflects on the World Aquatic Championships
By Jonah Broos, Cronkite PR Lab
TEMPE – Herbie Behm, head coach of Sun Devil Swim and Dive, has been named an assistant coach for the U.S. National Team, joining current and former Sun Devil stars Jonny Kulow and Patrick Sammon. The new role reflects a program that has reached new heights under Behm, producing upper-echelon talent like Daniel Matheson and Leon Marchand, and transforming recruits into world-class swimmers.
Development remains the focus of the program under Behm.
“We’ve always focused on growth and how do we keep getting better,” Behm said. “It’s not really worrying about other people but just focusing on ourselves and making things better.”
This philosophy has guided the program’s rise, emphasizing individualized training and helping swimmers build on both their strengths and weaknesses.
“Our philosophy,” explained Behm, “is looking at them (the student-athletes) as individuals, figuring out what their unique weakness is and growing upon that, and then looking at both of their strengths as well, and growing that.”
Behm points to the development of Kulow and Sammon as examples of what the program can achieve.
“Jonny and Patty were just okay recruits out of high school,” he said. “Watching them grow has been a really exciting thing.”
Kulow, now a senior, returned to Tempe after a summer swimming for the U.S. National Team in the 2025 Singapore Aquatic Championships.
“It’s great. I cannot complain about representing the Stars and Stripes. It’s the greatest privilege in the sport,” Kulow explained. “But it’s something special when you get to do it with the guys that you see every single day. You wake up with them, you live with them, you literally go through hell with them. It’s something special being able to come out here and just have fun with them.”
Kulow hopes to use his experience to mentor younger swimmers and contribute as a steady hand during high-pressure competitions.
“I think I can just bring some calmness to the storm. I mean, nothing's ever going to be perfect,” stated Kulow. “Some of these freshmen only swam high school meets where everything's well-controlled. That's not how it is at NCAAs and at this level. I think I can just bring a level of calmness and hopefully just keep everybody on track through the thick of it.”
For Sammon, who graduated in 2025 with a master’s in real estate development, Sun Devil Swimming laid the foundation for international competition.
“It’s basically been everything - getting to learn from world-class coaches, the best in the world,” Sammon said. “Leon Marchand, the best swimmer in the world, was my roommate. I trained here, got to learn a bunch of stuff from him, and learned from other Olympians. They’ve been mentors for the past couple of years, and it’s been awesome to learn from them.”
Now training in Tempe while competing professionally, Sammon hopes to use his experience to lead by example and help the Sun Devil team pursue another championship.
“You can either be vocal or you can be a leader through action,” Sammon said. “I’m hoping to do both, just trying to help the Sun Devil team get another championship.”
“It’s a lot of things, obviously,” said Behm, emphasizing that the program looks for more than raw talent when recruiting. “There are certain things in the water of just how they move, how they look when they swim, and then psychologically, it’s people who want to be the best, people who believe they can do that and want to get to those heights. Some might perceive it as a lofty goal and unrealistic, but we like people who believe in themselves at that level because you need that belief first to get there ultimately.”
With Behm joining the U.S. National Team and a culture of excellence firmly established, Sun Devil Swim and Dive is poised for another successful season, cultivating the next generation of elite swimmers while cementing its place on both the domestic and international stage.