Meet Dave Durden…Head Olympic Coach

California men’s swimming & diving under the guidance of head coach Dave Durden has established themselves as one of the premier collegiate and post-graduate programs in the country throughout the past 16 years. 

His Golden Bears reached the collegiate pinnacle in 2021-22 by hoisting the NCAA team trophy for the fifth time in his Cal tenure. This is in addition to finishing among the top two teams at the NCAA Championships each of the past 12 meets. Durden has been named NCAA Coach of the Year six times (2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2019 and 2022).

For his efforts, Durden was charged with leading Team USA as the Head Men’s Coach for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. The American men totaled 12 medals (8 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze), including medals won by Cal greats Ryan Murphy and Tom Shields. In all, eight Cal swimmers reached the 2020 Tokyo Olympics while representing four different countries. Other Olympic medalists that Durden has coached prior to Tokyo are Anthony Ervin, Nathan Adrian, and Josh Prenot.

Beyond the collegiate ranks, Cal has assembled one of the most decorated professional groups in the sport. All of the post-grads in Durden’s program swam for the Bears during their college years, which provides a unique connection and mentorship to the undergrad swimmers. Durden speaks often about building relationships with his swimmers and growing those relationships in the course of their college careers and beyond as they transition into adult life or remain at Cal as professional athletes. Durden coaches each individual a bit differently, based on the relationship with a particular athlete and their shared experiences as a coach-swimmer duo. Maybe it’s working to build their confidence or maybe it’s honing in on a particular skill. Whatever the method, the results speak for themselves.                   

Prior to his arrival in Berkeley, Dave served as an assistant coach at Auburn University and later as the head coach at the University of Maryland.  A 1998 graduate of UC Irvine, Durden earned a degree in electrical engineering and was the Big West Conference champion in the 200 butterfly. He and his wife, Cathy, reside in Moraga with their two children.