David Salo

Sun Devil Swim and Dive announced the hiring of Dave Salo as associate head coach on May 22, 2024. "Dave Salo is a swimming icon. He's a thinker who has pushed the sport forward for over 30 years and someone I've looked up too my entire career," said head coach Herbie Behm. "Everything one can achieve as a swim coach, he's achieved. I'm so lucky to be able to work with someone like Dave and I know the team will be in great hands with his leadership."  Salo, served as the long-time head coach at the University of Southern California for 14 seasons from 2006-2020 and announced his retirement from the program on January 16, 2020. In his time with the Trojans, his teams have posted eight top 6 finishes at NCAA Championships (Four by the men and women) and produced 89 Women's All-Americans and 76 on the men's side.  Included in his success with the Trojans, he coached 22 NCAA Individual and six relay titles and won the program's first men's Pac-12 Championship since 1979 in 2015 and in 2016, managed the women's team to its first Pac-12 Championship in program history. Ultimately leading to being named Pac-12 Coach of the Year. In 2010, Salo was an inductee into the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame and has served time as a top national coach, leading the U.S. Women at the 2013 and 2015 FINA World Championship and the U.S. Men at the 2005 Worlds. He also served as an assistant at the 2000, 2004 and 2012 Olympics.  In addition, he has coached some of the top swimmers through his Trojan Swim Club that is widely successful during his time at USC, making him a go-to coach for the top swimmers around the world seeking to take their career to the next level.  Prior to his time at USC, Salo was the head coach of the Irvine Novaquatics from 1990 to 2006 and mentored seven Olympic medalists from USC, and was named 2002 U.S. Swimming Coach of the Year. He then served as an assistant at USC for five seasons from 1986-1990. Salo graduated from Long Beach State with an B.A. and M.A. in exercise physiology and served as the women's assistant swimming coach in 1981 and 1982 and earned his doctorate degree from USC in 1991.